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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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 — a coil
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. cap — of ice
  5. spring — the season
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. cap — a lid
  8. spell — a short time
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. tube — the underground
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. spell — magic
  14. tube — a container
  15. cap — a hat
  16. club — for golf
  17. spell — letters
  18. club — a group
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. spring — of water
  22. club — for dancing
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. lash — to lash out

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