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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 120 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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. lash — a whip stroke
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. cue — a signal
  4. degree — from a university
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. scale — in music
  8. land — to come down
  9. degree — an amount
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. land — a country
  13. cue — a hint
  14. degree — temperature
  15. scale — size or range
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. wax — to grow
  20. cue — for pool
  21. land — ground
  22. fine — high quality
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wax — for sculpting

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