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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 116 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 · firm · key · current · lash · clip · pitch · wave

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. clip — a video
  3. key — for a lock
  4. clip — for paper
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. current — happening now
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pitch — completely
  11. current — of water
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. clip — to cut
  15. net — in sport
  16. firm — a company
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. current — electric
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — after costs
  21. key — in music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — steady

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