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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. clip — to cut
  5. cell — a phone
  6. can — a tin
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. clip — a video
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cell — in biology
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. deal — to handle
  18. cap — a hat
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. can — to be able to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cap — of ice
  23. can — a tin
  24. kick — in football

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