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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 124 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. clip — for paper
  3. craft — a skill
  4. chest — a box
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. clip — a video
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bulb — for light
  16. craft — boats
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bulb — for light
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. chest — of your body
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. chest — of your body
  24. fall — to drop

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