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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. object — a thing
  6. clip — to cut
  7. mark — a trace
  8. file — a line of people
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. shower — rain
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. object — to protest
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. shower — to wash
  16. object — an aim
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mark — a grade
  19. clip — for paper
  20. pass — a permit
  21. clip — a video
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. file — a document
  24. file — a tool

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