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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 124 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. toast — bread
  8. mug — a face
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. mug — a cup
  11. fall — to drop
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. mug — to rob
  14. fall — the season
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. fall — to drop
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. date — the fruit
  24. racket — for tennis

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