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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. clip — a video
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. clip — to cut
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. last — finally
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. last — to go on
  12. clip — for paper
  13. cue — for pool
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. last — final
  16. cue — a hint
  17. toast — bread
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. craft — a skill
  20. cue — a signal
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. craft — boats
  23. pitch — completely
  24. toast — the most admired

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