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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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468
Word bank
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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. swing — in golf
  4. race — humankind
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. race — the arms race
  8. cue — a hint
  9. swing — to play on
  10. shower — to wash
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. cue — for pool
  14. race — a contest
  15. shower — rain
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. swing — music
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. cue — a signal
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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