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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 116 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: clip · hide · wave · game · season · rash · cabinet · lash

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. clip — to cut
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. season — in sport
  8. clip — for paper
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. season — of the year
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — hasty
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. game — a match
  23. game — wild animals
  24. cabinet — ministers

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