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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.

Make a worksheet

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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bass — the fish
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mark — a trace
  13. degree — an amount
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. spring — the season
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bass — low music
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. degree — temperature
  22. spring — a coil
  23. degree — from a university
  24. lash — to lash out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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