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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. hand — in cards
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a song
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — a practice
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. drill — the tool
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. track — a path
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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