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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: track · bear · stand · lash · clip · sharp · rush · net

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — a video
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. clip — to cut
  8. rush — hurry
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. track — a song
  13. bear — the animal
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a path

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