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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: dip · key · bear · drill · swing · wake · content · lash

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. drill — the tool
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. drill — army training
  6. swing — to play on
  7. content — happy
  8. swing — in golf
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bear — the animal
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. drill — a practice
  16. key — in music
  17. swing — music
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. wake — a trail
  24. content — the amount

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