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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pop — to visit
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pop — soda
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. suit — in cards
  13. pop — music
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. rock — a stone
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. hand — help
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. hand — in cards

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