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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. clip — a video
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. object — a thing
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. saw — the tool
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. stock — shares
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. clip — for paper
  18. object — an aim
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. object — to protest
  21. clip — to cut
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stock — goods

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