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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. game — a match
  12. pit — a hole
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. clip — to cut
  18. pit — in a race
  19. saw — the tool
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. clip — a video
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bowl — to roll

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