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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. pass — a permit
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a leader
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fall — to drop
  7. clip — a video
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. fall — to drop
  13. swing — in golf
  14. clip — to cut
  15. swing — to play on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. fall — the season
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. swing — music
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. prune — to trim

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