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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. roll — a cake
  3. clip — for paper
  4. charge — a price
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bank — of a river
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. charge — electricity
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. clip — a video
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. clip — to cut
  23. charge — in control
  24. roll — a list

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