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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. chest — of your body
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. chest — a box
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. squash — the sport
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rock — music
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. squash — to crush
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. chest — of your body

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