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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. rash — a series
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. deal — to handle
  12. clip — for paper
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pit — a hole
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bass — the fish
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. pit — in a race
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. clip — a video
  21. bass — low music
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — on the skin

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