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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. mate — a partner
  3. firm — decided
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cap — of ice
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. firm — steady
  8. root — of a word
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. present — the time now
  12. firm — a company
  13. mate — to breed
  14. cap — a lid
  15. present — there
  16. present — a gift
  17. cap — a hat
  18. mate — a friend
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. root — of a plant
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. root — the cause

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