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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.

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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: mug · lash · hide · root · clip · pit · wound · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wound — an injury
  5. root — of a word
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pit — in a race
  9. wound — an injury
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. root — the cause
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. root — of a plant
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. mug — a cup
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — for paper
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mug — a face

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