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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.

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: row · net · pit · stand · lash · season · clip · hand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. pit — in a race
  4. row — a line
  5. pit — a hole
  6. clip — to cut
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. season — in sport
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. clip — for paper
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. hand — help
  13. season — of the year
  14. net — in sport
  15. clip — a video
  16. hand — in cards
  17. row — to paddle
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. stand — to bear
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. lash — to lash out

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