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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 120 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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. spring — of water
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bound — certain
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. clip — for paper
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. clip — a video
  9. spring — a coil
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bound — obliged
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pound — a weight
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bound — tied together
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. board — to get on
  21. clip — to cut
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. spring — the season
  24. safe — out of danger

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