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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. hand — help
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. swing — in golf
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. hand — in cards
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. swing — to play on
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — a trace
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. swing — music

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