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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. clip — to cut
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. clip — for paper
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — government
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. clip — a video
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. lash — an eyelash

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