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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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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. wake — a trail
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. band — a ring
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bank — for money
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. band — a music group

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