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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 116 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.

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 · rash · sharp · clip · stick · spring · fine · kid

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. clip — a video
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — all right
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. kid — child
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rash — a series
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. clip — to cut
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. rash — hasty
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. kid — to tease
  23. clip — for paper
  24. spring — a coil

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