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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — for paper
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. clip — a video
  5. object — an aim
  6. file — a line of people
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. firm — steady
  9. mark — a trace
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — a company
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. file — a document
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. object — to protest
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. file — a tool
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. object — a thing
  21. mark — a grade
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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