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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.

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 · bulb · pitch · deal · file · lash · clip · shower

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. clip — for paper
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a line of people
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. net — for catching
  9. shower — rain
  10. pitch — completely
  11. net — in sport
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. net — after costs
  19. clip — a video
  20. file — a tool
  21. shower — to wash
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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