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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. board — a committee
  8. mug — to rob
  9. clip — a video
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. mug — a face
  12. sharp — clever
  13. board — to get on
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. shower — rain
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. shower — to wash
  20. chip — for betting
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. clip — to cut
  24. mug — a cup

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