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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  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. wax — for sculpting
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pit — in a race
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. hand — in cards
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — help
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bulb — for light
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wax — to grow
  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