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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. last — final
  4. last — finally
  5. tube — the underground
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. last — to go on
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. tube — a container
  11. pop — music
  12. bear — the animal
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. stock — goods
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pop — soda
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. pop — to visit
  22. vault — a safe
  23. wave — of the sea
  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