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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. club — for golf
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. object — a thing
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. object — an aim
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. club — for dancing
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. club — a group
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. coach — a trainer

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