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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. squash — the sport
  3. clip — a video
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cap — of ice
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. object — a thing
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. clip — to cut
  11. object — to protest
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. clip — for paper
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — a lid
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. squash — to crush
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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