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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. track — a path
  5. bank — for money
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. snap — to click
  8. bank — for money
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bank — of a river
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. track — a song
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. vault — a safe
  23. track — to keep track
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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