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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  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. rush — to hurry
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. plane — a tool
  5. clip — a video
  6. rush — hurry
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. fall — the season
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. clip — for paper
  21. fall — to drop
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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