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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. pop — music
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. fork — in a road

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