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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.

Make a worksheet

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: can · straw · arm · racket · clip · key · scale · lash

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. clip — to cut
  4. key — the most important part
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. can — to be able to
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. clip — for paper
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. key — for a lock
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. clip — a video
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. arm — part of the body

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