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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. kick — in football
  3. clip — to cut
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. saw — the tool
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. perch — the fish
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. chair — a leader
  19. clip — for paper
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. clip — a video
  22. wake — a trail
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bay — a horse colour

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