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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. file — a document
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. kid — child
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. wake — a trail
  17. kid — to tease
  18. file — a line of people
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rush — hurry
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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