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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: rush · mine · bass · pound · dip · present · clip · ruler

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. dip — to sink
  3. clip — a video
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. mine — for digging
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pound — a weight
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bass — low music
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — to cut

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