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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. sharp — clever
  3. clip — for paper
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. charge — a price
  6. ball — a great time
  7. clip — a video
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. lie — to recline
  10. prune — to trim
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. charge — electricity
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. charge — in control
  22. clip — to cut
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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