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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. clip — a video
  6. current — happening now
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pit — a hole
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. clip — to cut
  12. drill — army training
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pit — in a race
  15. clip — for paper
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. current — electric
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. ball — a dance
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. current — of water
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. drill — a practice

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