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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 116 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. can — a tin
  3. mark — a grade
  4. cold — an illness
  5. scale — in music
  6. cold — not warm
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — to rob
  10. wax — to grow
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. scale — size or range
  15. mine — for digging
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. can — a tin
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mug — a cup
  21. can — to be able to
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. wax — for sculpting

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