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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  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. wound — an injury
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bass — the fish
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bass — low music
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. race — humankind
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bank — of a river
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stem — to come from
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bank — for money
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bank — for money
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — a contest
  23. stem — of a plant
  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