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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 116 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. stand — to bear
  5. ground — the earth
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. kid — child
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. track — a song
  10. craft — a skill
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — a position
  14. kid — to tease
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. track — to keep track
  19. band — a music group
  20. craft — boats
  21. track — a path
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a ring

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