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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. pop — music
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. board — a committee
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. staff — employees
  7. clip — for paper
  8. pop — to visit
  9. clip — to cut
  10. pop — soda
  11. staff — employees
  12. clip — a video
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. tear — from crying
  15. key — in music
  16. rock — music
  17. tear — from crying
  18. staff — a stick
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. key — for a lock
  21. dip — to sink
  22. board — to get on
  23. key — the most important part
  24. rock — a stone

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