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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: bear · lash · club · pass · pound · swing · clip · bowl

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. swing — in golf
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. swing — music
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. clip — a video
  10. club — a group
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. clip — to cut
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. club — for dancing
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. swing — to play on
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — a weight
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bear — the animal
  23. club — for golf
  24. bear — the animal

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