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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.

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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bass — the fish
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. mate — to breed
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. current — of water
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — a friend
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. current — happening now
  18. deal — to handle
  19. current — electric
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bass — low music
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. hide — animal skin

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