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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. clip — to cut
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. cue — a hint
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. clip — for paper
  10. saw — the tool
  11. clip — a video
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mark — a trace
  14. cue — for pool
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. cue — a signal
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mark — a grade
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. leaves — to go away

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