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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. race — a contest
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rash — a series
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. rash — hasty
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — humankind

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