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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.

Make a worksheet

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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468
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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. hand — in cards
  5. root — of a plant
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. kick — in football
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. hand — help
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. net — after costs
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. net — for catching
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rest — what's left
  16. snap — to click
  17. net — in sport
  18. root — the cause
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. rest — a break
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. root — of a word
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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