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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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Word bank
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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pit — in a race
  7. last — finally
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. last — final
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. last — to go on
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pass — to succeed

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