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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.

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 · arm · sharp · press · net · pop · clip · stick

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pop — to visit
  3. net — after costs
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — a video
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. press — to push
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. net — for catching
  13. pop — soda
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. clip — for paper
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. press — a publisher
  19. sharp — clever
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pop — music
  22. net — in sport
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. press — newspapers

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