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

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. key — for a lock
  4. content — happy
  5. toast — bread
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. clip — a video
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. clip — for paper
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. key — the most important part
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. content — the amount
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. key — in music
  24. clip — to cut

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