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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. tear — from crying
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. ball — a great time
  9. squash — to crush
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pound — a weight
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. row — a line
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. row — to paddle
  23. tear — to rip
  24. pound — to hit hard

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