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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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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: deal · wake · clip · lash · object · mark · hide · bat

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. object — an aim
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. clip — for paper
  6. mark — a trace
  7. deal — to handle
  8. mark — a grade
  9. object — a thing
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — a video
  16. wake — a trail
  17. object — to protest
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. lash — to lash out

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