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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 116 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
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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: can · clip · board · dip · snap · rest · land · lean

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. lean — thin
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. can — to be able to
  5. board — a committee
  6. can — a tin
  7. land — a country
  8. clip — a video
  9. dip — to sink
  10. lean — to bend
  11. clip — to cut
  12. snap — to click
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. rest — a break
  15. clip — for paper
  16. land — to come down
  17. can — a tin
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. board — to get on
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. land — ground

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