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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 120 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: net · suit · swing · clip · tear · spring · lash · plane

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. swing — in golf
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. net — in sport
  6. plane — a tool
  7. clip — for paper
  8. net — for catching
  9. spring — the season
  10. suit — to fit
  11. spring — a coil
  12. clip — a video
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. tear — from crying
  16. clip — to cut
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. net — after costs
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. spring — of water
  22. suit — clothes
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. lash — an eyelash

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