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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. band — a ring
  5. wax — to grow
  6. cue — for pool
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. cue — a hint
  10. mark — a grade
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cell — a phone
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. band — a music group
  18. cell — in biology

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