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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. sharp — clever
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. hand — in cards
  7. pop — soda
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — help
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. pop — music
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fork — in a road
  24. pop — to visit

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