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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 120 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. mark — a trace
  7. stock — goods
  8. land — to come down
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. land — a country
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to sink
  14. land — ground
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stock — shares
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. mark — a grade
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lash — an eyelash

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