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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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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. rash — a series
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. ground — crushed
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. rush — hurry
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. ground — the earth
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. ground — a position
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. track — a song
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. rash — hasty
  22. track — a path
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. track — to keep track

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