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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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Word bank
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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: wave · pitcher · face · prune · lash · race · spell · chip

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — a short time
  7. race — humankind
  8. face — to point toward
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. chip — to eat
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — a contest
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. spell — letters
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. chip — for betting
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. face — to confront
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. face — part of the head
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. prune — to trim

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