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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 120 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pit — a hole
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. tube — the underground
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pit — in a race
  11. hand — in cards
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. clip — for paper
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. tube — a container
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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