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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mine — for digging
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. clip — to cut
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — to protest
  8. dip — to sink
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. clip — a video
  11. clip — for paper
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — to eat
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. object — a thing
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. mine — belonging to me

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