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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 120 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. game — a match
  3. mug — a cup
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. fork — in a road
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. game — wild animals
  9. swing — in golf
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. fall — the season
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mug — to rob
  24. swing — music

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