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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.

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: lash · wave · cap · game · clip · ball · racket · pass

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. clip — to cut
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. game — a match
  8. clip — for paper
  9. game — wild animals
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. clip — a video
  15. pass — a permit
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — a lid
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. cap — of ice

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