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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: clip · net · bank · mark · mug · fan · swing · lash

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. clip — a video
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bank — for money
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — a cup
  8. swing — music
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bank — for money
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. net — after costs
  14. bank — of a river
  15. mug — to rob
  16. clip — for paper
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mark — a grade
  19. net — in sport
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. net — for catching
  22. swing — to play on
  23. mark — a trace
  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