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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 120 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. clip — a video
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — a committee
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. fork — in a road
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — tied together
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. board — to get on
  14. clip — to cut
  15. net — in sport
  16. bound — certain
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. net — after costs
  19. foot — a measure
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. net — for catching
  23. clip — for paper
  24. wake — a trail

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