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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pit — in a race
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. board — a committee
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pit — a hole
  12. snap — to click
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. rest — a break
  15. clip — a video
  16. plane — a tool
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rest — what's left
  19. clip — for paper
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. rest — what's left
  22. board — to get on
  23. clip — to cut
  24. rush — to hurry

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