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

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pop — soda
  5. last — final
  6. object — an aim
  7. pop — music
  8. last — finally
  9. wax — to grow
  10. stock — shares
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stock — goods
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. object — to protest
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. object — a thing
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. last — to go on
  23. pop — to visit
  24. wax — in the ear

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