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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. clip — a video
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. clip — for paper
  6. mate — to breed
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bore — to drill
  9. mate — a friend
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pass — a permit
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. branch — a division
  17. clip — to cut
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. pass — to spend time

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