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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. clip — a video
  3. firm — steady
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. firm — a company
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pit — in a race
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. clip — for paper
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. firm — decided
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. rash — a series
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pit — a hole
  19. clip — to cut
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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