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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: mug · face · staff · spring · mark · dip · bear · clip

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. mug — a cup
  3. clip — a video
  4. dip — to sink
  5. mark — a grade
  6. spring — the season
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bear — the animal
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. face — to confront
  11. bear — the animal
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — to cut
  14. staff — employees
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. mug — to rob
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. face — to point toward
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. spring — of water
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mug — a face

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