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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 120 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bore — to tire
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. board — to get on
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bulb — for light
  8. object — an aim
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. clip — to cut
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. object — to protest
  16. wake — a trail
  17. object — a thing
  18. bore — to drill
  19. clip — a video
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — a committee
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bulb — for light

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