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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. rush — hurry
  8. toast — bread
  9. mate — to breed
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wax — to grow
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wind — moving air
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. mate — a partner
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. wind — moving air
  24. jam — in traffic

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