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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: season · object · club · key · lash · clip · calf · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. clip — a video
  4. object — an aim
  5. club — a group
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. clip — for paper
  8. object — to protest
  9. key — in music
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. key — for a lock
  13. club — for dancing
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bass — low music
  17. season — of the year
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. club — for golf
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. object — a thing
  23. clip — to cut
  24. calf — a young animal

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