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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. suit — clothes
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. game — wild animals
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. suit — to fit
  10. season — in sport
  11. rest — what's left
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. game — a match
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — the animal
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. season — of the year
  18. suit — in cards
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. sharp — clever
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. sharp — with an edge

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