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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 · stand · suit · file · lash · bear · pitch · prune

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. suit — in cards
  5. clip — for paper
  6. prune — to trim
  7. file — a document
  8. bear — the animal
  9. clip — a video
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. suit — clothes
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. suit — to fit
  18. pitch — completely
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. file — a tool
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. clip — to cut
  23. stand — to bear
  24. file — a line of people

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