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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.

Make a worksheet

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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — to paddle
  4. mug — a face
  5. court — of law
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. court — for sport
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bass — low music
  18. court — of a king
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bass — the fish
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. row — a line

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