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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. key — in music
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. court — of law
  7. lean — thin
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. key — for a lock
  11. prune — to trim
  12. key — the most important part
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. lean — to bend
  16. capital — money
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — for sport
  21. tube — the underground
  22. prune — to trim
  23. tube — a container
  24. capital — a city

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