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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. race — humankind
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. band — a ring
  9. rest — what's left
  10. charge — in control
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. race — a contest
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. rest — a break
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — help
  17. charge — electricity
  18. hand — in cards
  19. mark — a trace
  20. band — a music group
  21. race — the arms race
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. mark — a grade

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