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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mug — to rob
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. face — part of the head
  8. mug — a cup
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — to confront
  11. snap — to click
  12. capital — a city
  13. squash — to crush
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mug — a face
  17. squash — the sport
  18. rest — what's left
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. capital — money
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. squash — the vegetable

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