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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. drill — a practice
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. clip — a video
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. clip — to cut
  11. drill — the tool
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chip — to eat
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. clip — for paper
  22. drill — army training
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chair — to sit on

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