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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. cap — of ice
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. cap — a lid
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. root — of a plant
  7. clip — to cut
  8. root — of a word
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. root — the cause
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. clip — a video
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. cap — a hat
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. saw — the tool
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. saw — the tool

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