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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. clip — for paper
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — a trace
  5. clip — a video
  6. rest — a break
  7. hand — in cards
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. clip — to cut
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. hand — help
  18. mark — to pay attention

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