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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. swing — music
  3. snap — to click
  4. branch — a division
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. swing — in golf
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. swing — to play on
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bat — the animal
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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