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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. spring — of water
  7. pass — a permit
  8. mine — for digging
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. spring — the season
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spring — a coil
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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