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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: bound · suit · bat · bear · dip · lash · date · wave

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. dip — to sink
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bear — the animal
  10. date — the fruit
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bat — the animal
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bound — obliged
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bound — tied together
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bat — in an idiom

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