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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wake — a trail
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. ground — the earth
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mark — a grade
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. ground — a position
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a dance
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. ground — crushed
  24. mark — a trace

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