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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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. deal — to handle
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. drill — the tool
  6. prune — to trim
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. suit — in cards
  10. clip — a video
  11. race — a contest
  12. suit — clothes
  13. tube — the underground
  14. drill — a practice
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. drill — army training
  17. prune — to trim
  18. race — the arms race
  19. tube — a container
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. suit — to fit
  22. clip — to cut
  23. race — humankind
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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