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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. row — to paddle
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. staff — a stick
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. staff — employees
  13. snap — to click
  14. row — a line
  15. court — of law
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. chip — to eat
  18. court — for sport
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. staff — employees
  22. court — of a king
  23. chip — for betting
  24. lash — an eyelash

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