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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.

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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: key · dip · mug · clip · shower · board · net · face

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. board — to get on
  3. clip — a video
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. clip — for paper
  6. dip — to sink
  7. key — the most important part
  8. shower — rain
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. key — in music
  12. mug — a cup
  13. net — for catching
  14. board — a committee
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. clip — to cut
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. key — for a lock
  20. net — after costs
  21. face — part of the head
  22. mug — a face
  23. net — in sport
  24. shower — to wash

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