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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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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: cell · mug · clip · dip · lie · wind · foot · stick

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. dip — to sink
  3. wind — moving air
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. wind — moving air
  6. clip — for paper
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. clip — to cut
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mug — a face
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. mug — a cup
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. clip — a video
  20. foot — a measure
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mug — to rob
  24. cell — a phone

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