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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: lash · clip · stick · bear · cell · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — in biology
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. clip — a video
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. cell — a phone
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. clip — to cut
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. clip — for paper
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. lash — a whip stroke

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