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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: rest · wave · lash · stick · lie · court · ground · clip

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. ground — crushed
  3. rest — a break
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. clip — for paper
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. ground — a position
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. clip — to cut
  12. ground — the earth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. court — for sport
  17. lie — to recline
  18. court — of a king
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rest — what's left
  21. court — of law
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. clip — a video
  24. 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