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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. hand — in cards
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. hand — help
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. club — for dancing
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — low music
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. club — a group
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. row — a line

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