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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
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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: content · rush · swing · clip · wave · lash · key · land

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. key — in music
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. rush — hurry
  6. swing — to play on
  7. land — a country
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. land — ground
  10. swing — music
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. content — happy
  14. key — the most important part
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — for paper
  18. swing — in golf
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. land — to come down
  24. key — for a lock

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