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

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. clip — a video
  7. net — for catching
  8. drill — a practice
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. net — after costs
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. roll — a list
  14. drill — army training
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. drill — the tool
  18. clip — to cut
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. clip — for paper
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a cake
  24. ruler — a monarch

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