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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: clip · ground · lie · squash · dip · bulb · suit · stand

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. stand — to bear
  3. squash — to crush
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. dip — to sink
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. suit — in cards
  10. lie — to recline
  11. suit — clothes
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. clip — for paper
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bulb — for light
  16. clip — a video
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. squash — the sport
  19. clip — to cut
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. suit — to fit
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — crushed

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