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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: dip · pit · clip · trunk · can · rule · bass · march

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pit — in a race
  5. dip — to sink
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — a video
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. march — the month
  10. bass — low music
  11. can — a tin
  12. bass — the fish
  13. rule — government
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. can — a tin
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. rule — a law
  22. pit — a hole
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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