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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: clip · lash · hand · present · racket · stick

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. clip — to cut
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. present — a gift
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — a video
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. present — there
  15. hand — help
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. present — the time now
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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