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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. net — in sport
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. clip — for paper
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. net — after costs
  11. clip — to cut
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. cue — a hint
  16. dip — to sink
  17. cue — for pool
  18. plane — a tool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. clip — a video
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. net — for catching
  24. lash — an eyelash

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