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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. clip — for paper
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. clip — to cut
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. chip — to eat
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bore — to tire
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. march — the month
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. snap — to click
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. chip — for betting
  24. clip — a video

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