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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · wave · lash · present · cold · ruler

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. present — a gift
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cold — not warm
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. present — there
  10. cold — an illness
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. present — the time now
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. lash — an eyelash

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