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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.

Make a worksheet

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 was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. game — wild animals
  6. wax — to grow
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. chair — a leader
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. rash — a series
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rash — hasty
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. game — a match
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. sharp — clever

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