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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. pit — in a race
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bulb — for light
  13. shower — rain
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. shower — to wash
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. kid — child
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. squash — to crush
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. pit — a hole

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