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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: can · last · dip · straw · clip · bore · object · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for dancing
  3. object — an aim
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bore — to drill
  6. last — to go on
  7. object — a thing
  8. can — to be able to
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. last — final
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. clip — a video
  14. clip — to cut
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. can — a tin
  17. last — finally
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. can — a tin
  21. bore — to tire
  22. object — to protest
  23. club — for golf
  24. dip — a sauce

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