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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.

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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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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: spell · lash · lie · snap · content · swing · clip · suit

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — a video
  4. spell — magic
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. spell — a short time
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — in golf
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lie — to recline
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. suit — clothes
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. snap — to click
  19. suit — in cards
  20. spell — letters
  21. suit — to fit
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. swing — music
  24. clip — for paper

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