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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mate — to breed
  5. clip — for paper
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. clip — a video
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. charge — in control
  13. clip — to cut
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. snap — to click
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hand — help
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. charge — a price

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