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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 116 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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. drill — a practice
  4. shower — rain
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cue — a signal
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. key — the most important part
  11. shower — to wash
  12. key — for a lock
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wound — an injury
  17. key — in music
  18. drill — the tool
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. drill — army training

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