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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. clip — a video
  3. ball — a dance
  4. degree — an amount
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. degree — from a university
  7. pit — in a race
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. clip — for paper
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. degree — temperature
  21. cue — a signal
  22. clip — to cut
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. lash — an eyelash

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