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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. last — finally
  3. last — final
  4. last — to go on
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pop — to visit
  12. roll — a list
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. can — a tin
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pop — soda
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. pop — music
  22. roll — a cake
  23. can — a tin
  24. pitch — a sports field

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