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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: cap · swing · hide · bulb · net · dip · band · clip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. swing — in golf
  3. band — a ring
  4. clip — to cut
  5. net — for catching
  6. clip — a video
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bulb — for light
  9. swing — to play on
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. cap — a lid
  13. net — in sport
  14. clip — for paper
  15. bulb — for light
  16. net — after costs
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. band — a music group
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a hat
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. swing — music
  24. hide — to keep secret

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