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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 116 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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. clip — for paper
  3. ground — the earth
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mine — for digging
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. ground — a position
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. ground — crushed
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — a video
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. tube — a container
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. hide — to keep secret

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