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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.

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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: object · wave · lash · hide · court · wind · pass · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. object — to protest
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. object — an aim
  15. court — for sport
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — a permit
  20. object — a thing
  21. court — of law
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. court — of a king

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