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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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468
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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. cell — in biology
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. tear — from crying
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bass — the fish
  23. tear — from crying
  24. cell — a phone

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