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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — help
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. cap — of ice
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. cap — a lid
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. lean — thin
  15. cap — a hat
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. lean — to bend
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. root — of a word
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. wax — in the ear

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