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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. court — of law
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. clip — for paper
  9. prune — to trim
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a line of people
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. prune — to trim
  16. clip — a video
  17. wake — a trail
  18. file — a tool
  19. court — of a king
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. court — for sport
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. clip — to cut
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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