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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. clip — to cut
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. clip — a video
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. key — the most important part
  9. current — electric
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rash — a series
  13. clip — for paper
  14. current — of water
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. current — happening now
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. key — in music
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — to visit
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pop — music

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