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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. prune — to trim
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. saw — the tool
  15. net — for catching
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. net — in sport
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. net — after costs
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. prune — to trim

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