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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.

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: lean · track · bear · wound · lash · net · dip · clip

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. clip — a video
  3. net — for catching
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. clip — to cut
  6. lean — to bend
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bear — the animal
  12. track — a song
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. wound — an injury
  16. track — a path
  17. track — to keep track
  18. net — in sport
  19. clip — for paper
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. lean — thin

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