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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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468
Word bank
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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wake — a trail
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pass — a permit
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. arm — part of the body

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