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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lean — thin
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — to bend
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. kid — child
  11. court — of a king
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the fish
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. staff — employees
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. staff — employees
  19. court — for sport
  20. staff — a stick
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. court — of law
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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