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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 124 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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. fine — a penalty
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. chip — to eat
  5. wax — to grow
  6. fine — all right
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. last — to go on
  9. lie — to recline
  10. last — final
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. fine — high quality
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. sharp — clever
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. last — finally
  24. wax — for sculpting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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