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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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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. spell — a short time
  3. mark — a trace
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. hand — help
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. clip — a video
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. march — the month
  13. clip — to cut
  14. spell — letters
  15. march — the month
  16. spell — magic
  17. march — music
  18. clip — for paper
  19. mark — a grade
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. hand — in cards

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