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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. object — an aim
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bank — for money
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. fall — the season
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — to protest
  16. clip — to cut
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. clip — a video
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com