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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. charge — in control
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. hand — help
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. charge — electricity
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. row — a line
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. charge — a price
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. kick — in football
  22. hand — in cards
  23. row — to paddle
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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