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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bowl · lash · bass · fan · current · vault · bat · clip

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. current — electric
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. current — happening now
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bass — low music
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. clip — for paper
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bat — the animal
  23. current — of water
  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