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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. swing — music
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lie — to recline
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. last — finally
  14. last — final
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. swing — in golf
  19. last — to go on
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. swing — to play on
  24. wave — of the sea

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