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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. last — to go on
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. dip — to sink
  6. kid — to tease
  7. last — finally
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bound — certain
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. kid — child
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. last — final
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bound — obliged
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bound — tied together

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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