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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. drill — a practice
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. land — a country
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. rock — a stone
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. rock — music
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. land — ground
  20. drill — army training
  21. land — to come down
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bass — low music
  24. rock — to move gently

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