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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: pop · bay · lash · sharp · wave · lean · kick · tube

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lean — thin
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. sharp — clever
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pop — to visit
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — to bend
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. tube — a container
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pop — soda
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pop — music
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — a thrill

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