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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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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: saw · last · bank · lash · clip · deal · fan · ground

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. saw — the tool
  4. clip — for paper
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bank — for money
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. ground — a position
  11. bank — of a river
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. last — to go on
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — a video
  16. last — final
  17. last — finally
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bank — for money
  24. ground — crushed

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