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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. cue — a signal
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. cue — for pool
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. wax — to grow
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. sharp — clever
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. vault — a safe
  22. craft — boats
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bat — the animal

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