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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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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pop — to visit
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. toast — bread
  6. plane — a tool
  7. pop — music
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — a contest
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. charge — electricity
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. charge — a price
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — child
  19. charge — in control
  20. race — the arms race
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pop — soda
  24. wave — of the sea

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