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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mate — to breed
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. mate — a partner
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the sport
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. scale — size or range
  18. wind — moving air
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. mate — a friend
  22. scale — in music
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bear — the animal

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