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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: track · key · lash · mouse · swing · mug · clip · bat

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. track — to keep track
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. key — in music
  6. bat — the animal
  7. track — a path
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a cup
  10. track — a song
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. clip — for paper
  14. mug — a face
  15. clip — a video
  16. swing — in golf
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. key — the most important part
  19. clip — to cut
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. swing — music
  24. swing — to play on

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