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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. lean — thin
  3. season — in sport
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. track — a path
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. season — of the year
  9. track — a song
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. clip — a video
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. squash — to crush
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. squash — the sport
  20. track — to keep track
  21. lean — to bend
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — to cut

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