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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. suit — clothes
  5. clip — to cut
  6. march — music
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bulb — for light
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stock — shares
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. suit — in cards
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. clip — a video
  21. stock — goods
  22. march — the month
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. march — the month

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