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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. tube — the underground
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. craft — boats
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. clip — to cut
  15. tube — a container
  16. craft — a skill
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. sharp — clever
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. clip — a video
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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