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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 116 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. staff — employees
  3. net — for catching
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. clip — a video
  6. bass — low music
  7. staff — employees
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bulb — for light
  10. net — in sport
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. net — after costs
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pit — in a race
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — the fish
  20. staff — a stick
  21. pit — a hole
  22. clip — for paper
  23. bulb — for light
  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