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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 · dip · row · mate · staff · lie · pit · bark

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — to sink
  5. mate — to breed
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. lie — to recline
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. clip — to cut
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pit — a hole
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. staff — employees
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pit — in a race
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. row — a line
  24. clip — a video

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