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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bark — to shout
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — a price
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — for paper
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. clip — a video
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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