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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 120 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.

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: pitcher · kick · lash · safe · wave · pop · march · wake

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. march — the month
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. march — the month
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pop — music
  16. kick — in football
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. pop — soda
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. march — music

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