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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 120 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: content · hide · racket · clip · current · rush · rash · snap

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. current — happening now
  5. clip — for paper
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. current — electric
  11. snap — to click
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. content — happy
  14. clip — to cut
  15. rash — a series
  16. content — the amount
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. current — of water
  21. rash — hasty
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. clip — a video
  24. rush — hurry

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