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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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. chip — in a computer
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. chip — to eat
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. foot — a measure
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. chip — for betting
  18. mate — to breed
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mine — for digging
  22. saw — the tool
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. wave — with your hand

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