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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. clip — for paper
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. clip — a video
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. lean — to bend
  12. drill — army training
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. drill — the tool
  19. lean — thin
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. clip — to cut

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