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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 120 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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cap — a lid
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. firm — a company
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. wound — an injury
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. firm — steady
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. can — a tin
  15. firm — decided
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cap — a hat
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. band — a music group
  20. cap — of ice
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. can — a tin
  24. band — a ring

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