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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. spell — magic
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. spell — letters
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. date — the fruit
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bark — to shout
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. spell — a short time
  24. pitcher — a jug

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