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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. track — a song
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. track — to keep track
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. squash — to crush
  13. game — wild animals
  14. shower — rain
  15. squash — the sport
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. cue — a hint
  24. game — a match

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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