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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: snap · dip · pitch · can · wind · lash · foot · content

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. can — to be able to
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — happy
  8. can — a tin
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. snap — to click
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to sink
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. content — the amount
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pitch — completely
  24. wind — moving air

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