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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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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: stand · mark · lash · fan · swing · clip · kick · bowl

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — to bear
  4. mark — a grade
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. swing — music
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. kick — in football
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. mark — a trace
  13. clip — to cut
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. clip — a video
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. swing — in golf
  20. clip — for paper
  21. swing — to play on
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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