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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. game — a match
  4. mate — a friend
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. game — wild animals
  7. can — a tin
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mate — to breed
  11. spell — a short time
  12. can — a tin
  13. mate — a partner
  14. spell — magic
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. spell — letters
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — a tight spot

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