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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pop — music
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. pop — soda
  10. clip — a video
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bound — certain
  14. clip — to cut
  15. last — final
  16. last — finally
  17. key — for a lock
  18. clip — for paper
  19. bound — tied together
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pop — to visit
  23. last — to go on
  24. bound — obliged

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