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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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. mug — a face
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. fall — the season
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mug — a cup
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pound — a weight
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. fan — a supporter

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