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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. mark — a trace
  4. clip — a video
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. club — for dancing
  8. snap — to click
  9. pop — music
  10. clip — to cut
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. club — for golf
  13. tear — to rip
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. court — for sport
  16. clip — for paper
  17. club — a group
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. tear — from crying
  20. court — of a king
  21. mark — a grade
  22. tear — from crying
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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