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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mate — to breed
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. swing — in golf
  9. firm — steady
  10. squash — to crush
  11. plane — a tool
  12. squash — the sport
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. firm — a company
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. mate — a partner
  23. firm — decided
  24. mate — a friend

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