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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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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: cold · mark · firm · wave · deal · lash · rest · sharp

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. deal — to handle
  3. firm — steady
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. cold — not warm
  10. firm — a company
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. firm — decided
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. mark — a trace
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mark — a grade
  19. cold — an illness
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. sharp — clever
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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