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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. dip — to sink
  4. race — humankind
  5. clip — for paper
  6. wax — to grow
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. clip — to cut
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. race — the arms race
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. clip — a video
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. dip — a sauce

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