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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pit — a hole
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. plane — a tool
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. fork — in a road
  8. clip — a video
  9. land — ground
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. pit — in a race
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. land — to come down
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. clip — for paper
  17. land — a country
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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