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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. suit — to fit
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. clip — for paper
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bound — certain
  7. clip — a video
  8. race — humankind
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — tied together
  12. race — a contest
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — in cards
  15. present — a gift
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. present — there
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. present — the time now
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. race — the arms race
  24. clip — to cut

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