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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: bank · season · drill · craft · lash · clip · lie · pit

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell 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. lash — to lash out
  2. clip — a video
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. pit — in a race
  10. season — in sport
  11. bank — for money
  12. craft — a skill
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. clip — for paper
  15. season — of the year
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. drill — army training
  18. craft — boats
  19. lie — to recline
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. lie — an untruth
  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