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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. clip — for paper
  7. squash — the sport
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. mark — a grade
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. game — wild animals
  14. clip — to cut
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pitch — completely
  18. game — a match
  19. mark — a trace
  20. clip — a video
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. lash — to lash out

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