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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: roll · wake · rash · cap · snap · content · fine · clip

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. fine — high quality
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. cap — of ice
  7. snap — to click
  8. clip — to cut
  9. fine — all right
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. content — the amount
  13. cap — a lid
  14. rash — a series
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. roll — a cake
  19. wake — a trail
  20. clip — for paper
  21. rash — hasty
  22. roll — a list
  23. cap — a hat
  24. content — happy

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