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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. club — a group
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pop — music
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — a company
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pop — soda
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. firm — decided
  14. can — a tin
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. pop — to visit
  20. club — for golf
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wax — to grow
  23. club — for dancing
  24. mine — an explosive

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