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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. track — a song
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. tube — a container
  5. clip — a video
  6. swing — in golf
  7. clip — to cut
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. track — a path
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. press — to push
  16. perch — the fish
  17. swing — to play on
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. swing — music
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. clip — for paper
  24. track — to keep track

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