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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.

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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: clip · tear · craft · stick · deal · lash · net · wave

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. net — for catching
  3. clip — a video
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. tear — from crying
  10. net — after costs
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. clip — for paper
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. tear — to rip
  16. craft — a skill
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. tear — from crying
  19. net — in sport
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. craft — boats
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. clip — to cut

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