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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. perch — the fish
  4. clip — to cut
  5. net — in sport
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. net — after costs
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. clip — a video
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. net — for catching
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — boats

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