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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 120 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. clip — to cut
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. spell — a short time
  7. dip — to sink
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. ball — a great time
  11. spell — letters
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. kid — to tease
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. clip — for paper
  18. ball — a dance
  19. clip — a video
  20. spell — magic
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. kid — child
  24. fork — a garden tool

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