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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. sharp — clever
  4. rock — a stone
  5. season — of the year
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. land — ground
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. cue — a hint
  12. rock — music
  13. wax — to grow
  14. season — in sport
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. cue — for pool
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. land — a country
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. land — to come down
  23. cue — a signal
  24. sharp — exactly

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