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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: clip · cabinet · scale · fan · kick · lash · face · lean

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. lean — to bend
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. face — to point toward
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. clip — for paper
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. scale — in music
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. scale — size or range
  19. lean — thin
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — a video
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. lean — to rest against

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