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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bark — to shout
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. saw — the tool
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. branch — a division
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. court — for sport
  16. clip — for paper
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. saw — the tool
  19. court — of law
  20. court — of a king
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. clip — to cut
  24. branch — of a bank

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