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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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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: bowl · club · lash · nail · foot · clip · can · bear

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. clip — a video
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. club — a group
  5. can — a tin
  6. bear — the animal
  7. club — for golf
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bear — the animal
  14. can — a tin
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. clip — to cut
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. foot — a measure
  23. can — to be able to
  24. clip — for paper

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