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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 116 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: racket · saw · wave · wind · lash · kid · rest · lean

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lean — thin
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. kid — to tease
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. kid — child
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rest — a break
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. wind — moving air
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rest — what's left

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