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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: content · fine · march · rush · fork · clip · shower · lash

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. clip — a video
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. clip — to cut
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — rain
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. march — music
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. fork — in a road
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. rush — hurry
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. clip — for paper
  18. march — the month
  19. content — the amount
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. march — the month
  22. content — happy
  23. fine — high quality
  24. rush — to hurry

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