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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. roll — a cake
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. spring — the season
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. swing — to play on
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. can — a tin
  15. roll — a list
  16. lie — to recline
  17. spring — a coil
  18. can — a tin
  19. swing — music
  20. spring — of water
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. swing — in golf

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