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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. clip — a video
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. clip — for paper
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. row — a line
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. rule — a law
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. dip — to sink
  20. date — the fruit
  21. rule — government
  22. clip — to cut
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. row — to paddle

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