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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. clip — a video
  6. clip — to cut
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bound — certain
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bound — obliged
  22. dip — to sink
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bound — tied together

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