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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. file — a document
  3. season — in sport
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. file — a tool
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. clip — for paper
  9. file — a line of people
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. stock — goods
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. clip — a video
  17. pass — a permit
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. clip — to cut
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. stock — shares
  24. season — of the year

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