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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
468
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: stand · lash · kick · clip · court · hide · spring · hand

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. hand — in cards
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. court — of a king
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. stand — to bear
  7. spring — the season
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. clip — for paper
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. spring — a coil
  16. clip — a video
  17. spring — of water
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. clip — to cut
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of law
  23. hand — help
  24. kick — in football

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