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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 116 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bore — to tire
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. bound — tied together
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. staff — employees
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bore — to drill
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. fork — to eat with

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