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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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468
Word bank
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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. wind — moving air
  3. charge — electricity
  4. wind — moving air
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. squash — to crush
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. charge — in control
  15. land — ground
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. land — a country
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. snap — to click
  21. squash — the sport
  22. land — to come down
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. charge — a price

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