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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 116 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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. cap — a hat
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. squash — the sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. cap — of ice
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. clip — to cut
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. clip — a video
  16. squash — to crush
  17. clip — for paper
  18. cap — a lid

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