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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wake — a trail
  4. capital — money
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. root — of a plant
  9. wax — to grow
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a great time
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. ball — a dance
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear
  19. capital — a city
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a word
  24. wake — before a funeral

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