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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — temperature
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. wax — to grow
  10. march — music
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bore — to tire
  16. march — the month
  17. snap — to click
  18. bore — to drill
  19. degree — from a university
  20. march — the month
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. lash — to lash out

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