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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. suit — to fit
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. spring — the season
  5. track — a path
  6. spring — of water
  7. scale — in music
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — to cut
  13. track — to keep track
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. suit — clothes
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. suit — in cards
  21. track — a song
  22. fork — in a road
  23. stand — to bear
  24. spring — a coil

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