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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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Word bank
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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — a video
  6. mark — a grade
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. stand — to bear
  16. clip — to cut
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. cell — a phone
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. wave — of the sea

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