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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. swing — to play on
  4. staff — employees
  5. hand — help
  6. staff — a stick
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. shower — rain
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. staff — employees
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. shower — to wash
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — a trail
  24. perch — for a bird

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