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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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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: pass · mine · clip · kick · trunk · racket · lash · key

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. clip — for paper
  4. pass — a permit
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. key — for a lock
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. key — in music
  10. clip — a video
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. clip — to cut
  22. mine — for digging
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. key — the most important part

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