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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. saw — the tool
  3. firm — a company
  4. clip — for paper
  5. season — in sport
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. foot — a measure
  9. firm — steady
  10. saw — the tool
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. season — of the year
  16. clip — a video
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. firm — decided
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. clip — to cut
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. wake — a trail

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