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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 116 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. game — a match
  6. clip — to cut
  7. pound — a weight
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. clip — a video
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. game — wild animals
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. clip — for paper

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