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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 124 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lean — to bend
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. clip — a video
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mark — a trace
  9. fall — to drop
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. fall — the season
  15. lean — thin
  16. clip — for paper
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. clip — to cut

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