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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bear — the animal
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. hand — help
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. prune — to trim
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wave — with your hand

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