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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: kick · lash · straw · mark · lie · saw · ball · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. mark — a grade
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. lie — to recline
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. mark — a trace
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. ball — a dance
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. ball — a great time
  20. kick — in football
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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