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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. wave — with your hand
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. charge — in control
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bass — low music
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — the fish
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. charge — electricity
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. charge — a price
  23. leaves — to go away
  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