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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. clip — a video
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. saw — the tool
  13. swing — music
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. swing — in golf
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wax — to grow
  19. clip — to cut
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. swing — to play on

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