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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. clip — a video
  4. clip — to cut
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — decided
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. squash — the sport
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. club — for dancing
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. club — for golf
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. firm — steady
  17. press — to push
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. club — a group
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. squash — to crush
  23. fan — a supporter
  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