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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wound — an injury
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. spring — the season
  13. lean — thin
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. date — the fruit
  16. spring — of water
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. lean — to bend
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wave — a sudden rise

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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