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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. roll — a list
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. key — for a lock
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. wind — moving air
  14. roll — a cake
  15. key — in music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bass — low music
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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