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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 120 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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bass — low music
  9. can — a tin
  10. cap — a lid
  11. row — a line
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. can — to be able to
  15. cap — of ice
  16. can — a tin
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bass — the fish
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. row — to paddle
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. arm — part of the 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