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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. net — for catching
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. net — in sport
  10. season — in sport
  11. clip — a video
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. season — of the year
  17. bulb — for light
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. clip — for paper
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. net — after costs
  23. bulb — for light
  24. clip — to cut

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