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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rash · mark · hand · ground · lash · pit · clip · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. clip — to cut
  3. hand — in cards
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. pit — in a race
  6. ground — a position
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. ground — crushed
  10. clip — for paper
  11. hand — help
  12. rash — a series
  13. clip — a video
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rash — hasty
  20. pit — a hole
  21. mark — a grade
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. ground — the earth

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