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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fall — to drop
  6. clip — to cut
  7. fall — the season
  8. net — in sport
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bore — to tire
  16. clip — a video
  17. bore — to drill
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — for catching
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — boats
  23. clip — for paper
  24. fall — to drop

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