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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: pass · lash · wake · shower · lie · swing · wave · drill

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — the tool
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. drill — a practice
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. swing — in golf
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pass — a permit
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. lie — to recline
  17. wake — a trail
  18. shower — rain
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. shower — to wash
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — music
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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