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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. fine — all right
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. wake — a trail
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — music
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. swing — to play on
  24. fine — high quality

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