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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. clip — a video
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. board — to get on
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bat — the animal
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. chip — to eat
  19. row — a line
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. row — to paddle
  23. board — a committee
  24. clip — for paper

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