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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. net — in sport
  4. cap — a lid
  5. track — a song
  6. cap — of ice
  7. deal — to handle
  8. clip — for paper
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. cap — a hat
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — a phone
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. suit — clothes
  18. clip — a video
  19. net — after costs
  20. suit — to fit
  21. clip — to cut
  22. track — a path
  23. track — to keep track
  24. suit — in cards

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