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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. clip — to cut
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. rush — hurry
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. clip — for paper
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. suit — clothes
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. suit — in cards
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. swing — music
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — the season
  22. clip — a video
  23. spring — a coil
  24. suit — to fit

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