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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. swing — to play on
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — a friend
  13. craft — a skill
  14. swing — in golf
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. craft — boats
  17. swing — music
  18. wake — a trail

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