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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · clip · bank · racket · season · key · lash · wound

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. key — in music
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. season — of the year
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bank — for money
  11. season — in sport
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bank — of a river
  15. wound — an injury
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. clip — for paper
  19. key — for a lock
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bank — for money
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. racket — for tennis

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