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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 116 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pound — a weight
  4. spell — magic
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. spell — letters
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mark — a trace
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. snap — to click
  18. game — wild animals
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. spell — a short time
  21. wax — to grow
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mark — a grade
  24. game — a match

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