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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bulb — for light
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. clip — to cut
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. clip — for paper
  10. object — a thing
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bulb — for light
  13. object — to protest
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. clip — a video
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. object — an aim
  21. deal — to handle
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. lash — to lash out

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