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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. spring — the season
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. spring — of water
  10. foot — a measure
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. spring — a coil
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. fork — in a road

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