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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. clip — to cut
  5. staff — employees
  6. season — of the year
  7. scale — size or range
  8. clip — for paper
  9. charge — a price
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. season — in sport
  12. staff — employees
  13. charge — in control
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. tube — a container
  17. staff — a stick
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. charge — electricity
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. clip — a video
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — in music
  24. hide — to keep secret

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