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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. suit — clothes
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — to paddle
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. clip — for paper
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. land — to come down
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. land — ground
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. clip — to cut
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. land — a country
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. sharp — clever
  20. row — a line
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. clip — a video
  24. arm — part of the body

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