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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. kick — in football
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. clip — to cut
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. clip — for paper
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. clip — a video
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bear — the animal
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. wake — a trail
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — to handle
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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