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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. season — of the year
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. wax — to grow
  8. foot — a measure
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. scale — in music
  11. tube — a container
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. rash — a series
  19. tube — the underground
  20. season — in sport
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rash — hasty
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. fork — in a road

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