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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 120 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. mate — a partner
  5. scale — size or range
  6. dip — to sink
  7. mate — a friend
  8. ground — the earth
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. clip — for paper
  11. mate — to breed
  12. clip — a video
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. scale — in music
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. clip — to cut
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. ground — a position
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. ground — crushed

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