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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. last — final
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. fall — to drop
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pop — music
  7. fall — the season
  8. last — to go on
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. file — a document
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. last — finally
  17. pop — to visit
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pop — soda
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — of the sea

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