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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. content — the amount
  4. cap — of ice
  5. wound — an injury
  6. dip — to sink
  7. firm — a company
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. clip — a video
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. clip — for paper
  15. firm — decided
  16. lean — to bend
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. firm — steady
  22. content — happy
  23. lean — thin
  24. dip — a sauce

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