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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. suit — clothes
  3. clip — a video
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. key — for a lock
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. key — in music
  9. roll — a cake
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. key — the most important part
  12. suit — to fit
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a list
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — to rob
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. suit — in cards
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. mug — a face
  21. bark — to shout
  22. clip — for paper
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. lash — to lash out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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