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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · calf · pitcher · clip · fan · bass

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bass — the fish
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. clip — a video
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. clip — for paper
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bass — low music
  18. calf — of the leg

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