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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 works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. clip — a video
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — steady
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. clip — for paper
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — in cards
  15. scale — in music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. clip — to cut
  19. rule — a law
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. suit — to fit
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. scale — size or range

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