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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. spring — the season
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. game — wild animals
  9. mug — to rob
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. spring — of water
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. mug — a face
  17. spring — a coil
  18. game — a match
  19. mug — a cup
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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