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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 120 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: clip · present · can · stick · dip · bat · spring · plane

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. can — a tin
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — there
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. spring — the season
  11. can — a tin
  12. clip — to cut
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. clip — for paper
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. spring — of water
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. spring — a coil
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bat — the animal
  23. clip — a video
  24. present — the time now

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