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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bear — the animal
  17. tear — from crying
  18. squash — the sport
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bear — the animal
  22. squash — to crush
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. wave — with your hand

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