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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. fine — high quality
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rash — a series
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. pitch — completely
  13. game — wild animals
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. rock — music
  19. game — a match
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rock — to move gently

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