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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. clip — to cut
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. clip — a video
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. chair — a leader
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. rule — a law
  9. bore — to tire
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bore — to drill
  12. clip — for paper
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. wake — a trail
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rule — government
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. fan — a supporter

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