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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. object — a thing
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. spring — of water
  8. shower — to wash
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. object — to protest
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. spring — a coil
  15. object — an aim
  16. spring — the season
  17. wake — a trail
  18. shower — rain
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bear — the animal
  24. face — to point toward

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