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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bass — the fish
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. fine — all right
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. last — final
  10. last — to go on
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. last — finally
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bass — low music
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. craft — a skill
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. fine — high quality
  24. craft — boats

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