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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: racket · dip · clip · wave · key · fine · rock · rash

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. clip — to cut
  4. key — in music
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. fine — all right
  7. rock — music
  8. clip — a video
  9. dip — to sink
  10. clip — for paper
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. fine — high quality
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. key — the most important part
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rock — a stone
  23. key — for a lock
  24. fine — a penalty

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