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

Word bank: fork · cell · clip · face · race · board · lash · mouse

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. race — humankind
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. clip — for paper
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. clip — to cut
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. board — a committee
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. race — the arms race
  17. face — to confront
  18. board — to get on
  19. race — a contest
  20. face — to point toward
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. face — part of the head
  23. clip — a video
  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