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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. key — in music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bass — low music
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. chair — a leader
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. track — a path
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. key — for a lock
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bass — the fish
  20. track — a song
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. key — the most important part
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. track — to keep track

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