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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. clip — to cut
  3. drill — a practice
  4. clip — for paper
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mate — a friend
  8. current — happening now
  9. mate — a partner
  10. drill — army training
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. prune — to trim
  15. clip — a video
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. current — electric
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. current — of water
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. kid — child
  22. drill — the tool
  23. prune — to trim
  24. kid — to tease

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