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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. row — a line
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. court — of a king
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. hand — help
  18. court — of law
  19. bass — low music
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. court — for sport
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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