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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. root — of a word
  5. rush — hurry
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bound — certain
  8. root — of a plant
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — to cut
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bound — tied together
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bound — obliged
  22. root — the cause
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wake — a trail

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