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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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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. kick — in football
  3. pass — a permit
  4. root — of a word
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. root — the cause
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — to cut
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. root — of a plant
  16. suit — clothes
  17. wound — an injury
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — child
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. suit — to fit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. suit — in cards
  24. kid — to tease

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