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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. mate — a partner
  5. clip — a video
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. fork — in a road
  8. mate — a friend
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. can — to be able to
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. mate — to breed
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. can — a tin
  22. clip — to cut
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. can — a tin

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