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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wax — to grow
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. court — for sport
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. cell — a phone
  19. court — of a king
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. court — of law

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