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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 120 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. tear — from crying
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — to get on
  5. club — a group
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. mate — a friend
  10. root — of a word
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — for golf
  13. tear — to rip
  14. clip — a video
  15. board — a committee
  16. mate — to breed
  17. root — the cause
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. mate — a partner
  20. root — of a plant
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. clip — for paper
  23. tear — from crying
  24. clip — to cut

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