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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.

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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. march — the month
  4. pop — soda
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. march — music
  10. pop — music
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. march — the month
  14. hand — help
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pop — to visit
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hand — in cards
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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