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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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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: clip · lie · dip · present · net · mouse · arm · pound

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. present — a gift
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. net — after costs
  9. lie — to recline
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. net — for catching
  14. clip — a video
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. dip — to sink
  17. clip — for paper
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. net — in sport
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. clip — to cut
  24. pound — a weight

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