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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. cell — in biology
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — there
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. ground — the earth
  11. spring — the season
  12. cell — a phone
  13. spring — of water
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. ground — a position
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ground — crushed
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. spring — a coil
  23. ball — a great time
  24. lash — an eyelash

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