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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.

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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: clip · suit · dip · kick · cap · lean · bear · face

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. face — to confront
  4. bear — the animal
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. clip — to cut
  7. lean — to bend
  8. clip — for paper
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. cap — a hat
  13. suit — in cards
  14. clip — a video
  15. face — part of the head
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. face — to point toward
  21. lean — thin
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bear — the animal
  24. suit — clothes

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