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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lash · rule · spring · perch · clip · charge · mate · pitcher

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. charge — a price
  4. spring — a coil
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. clip — a video
  7. spring — of water
  8. rule — government
  9. spring — the season
  10. mate — a friend
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. clip — for paper
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. charge — electricity
  16. rule — a law
  17. mate — to breed
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. perch — the fish
  22. charge — in control
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mate — a partner

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