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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. clip — for paper
  6. season — in sport
  7. cap — of ice
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. kick — in football
  13. season — of the year
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wake — a trail
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bore — to tire
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — to cut
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. toast — bread
  24. lash — to lash out

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