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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. rash — a series
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bound — certain
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. mark — a grade
  7. rash — hasty
  8. clip — a video
  9. bound — obliged
  10. scale — in music
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bound — tied together
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. clip — for paper
  24. mark — a trace

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