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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 116 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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. clip — to cut
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. last — finally
  10. clip — for paper
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. last — final
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. current — electric
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. clip — a video
  23. last — to go on
  24. rest — what's left

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