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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: net · rush · content · toast · foot · clip · wax · racket

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. content — the amount
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. clip — a video
  7. wax — to grow
  8. clip — for paper
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. content — happy
  12. clip — to cut
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. toast — bread
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. net — after costs
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. net — in sport
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. net — for catching
  24. rush — 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