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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. clip — a video
  4. clip — to cut
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. stock — shares
  7. can — to be able to
  8. ground — the earth
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. can — a tin
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. branch — a division
  16. can — a tin
  17. clip — for paper
  18. stock — goods
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — a position
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. snap — to click

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