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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. march — the month
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. clip — a video
  6. clip — to cut
  7. march — music
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pound — a weight
  10. clip — for paper
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. march — the month
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. season — in sport
  20. toast — bread
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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