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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: wave · deal · lash · rest · clip · bay · chip · spring

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. clip — to cut
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. spring — the season
  7. rest — a break
  8. clip — a video
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. chip — for betting
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — of water
  23. clip — for paper
  24. wave — with your hand

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