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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. clip — to cut
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. file — a document
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. clip — for paper
  9. club — for golf
  10. clip — a video
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. club — a group
  15. lean — thin
  16. fine — all right
  17. file — a tool
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. file — a line of people
  20. fine — high quality
  21. club — for dancing
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lean — to bend
  24. safe — out of danger

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