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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.

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: wave · lash · wound · fan · ground · key · nail · court

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — the most important part
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — the earth
  17. court — for sport
  18. ground — crushed
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. court — of a king
  22. key — in music
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. court — of law

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