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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.

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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: rash · clip · season · swing · pass · content · bulb · rush

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. bulb — for light
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. clip — a video
  11. content — the amount
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. content — happy
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. swing — music
  16. season — in sport
  17. clip — for paper
  18. swing — to play on
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pass — a permit
  21. rash — a series
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. rash — on the skin

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