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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: bound · race · tear · hide · pit · dip · clip · last

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. clip — a video
  2. bound — tied together
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. tear — from crying
  6. race — humankind
  7. pit — in a race
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. last — finally
  15. last — final
  16. race — a contest
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bound — obliged
  19. clip — for paper
  20. race — the arms race
  21. last — to go on
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bound — certain
  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