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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rash — a series
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — in golf
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. file — a document
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. file — a tool
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. file — a line of people
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. swing — to play on
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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