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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: drill · key · wave · lash · clip · content · lean · temple

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. key — the most important part
  3. content — the amount
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. clip — to cut
  7. key — for a lock
  8. lean — to bend
  9. drill — army training
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. content — happy
  14. drill — a practice
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. clip — for paper
  18. lean — thin
  19. clip — a video
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. key — in music
  24. lash — an eyelash

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