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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. last — finally
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. last — final
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. hand — help
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. hand — in cards
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pitch — completely
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. last — to go on
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wax — to grow
  24. snap — to click

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