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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. court — of a king
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. swing — music
  9. chest — of your body
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. net — in sport
  12. mark — a trace
  13. court — for sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. court — of law
  16. swing — in golf
  17. mark — a grade
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. net — after costs
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. swing — to play on
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. wax — to grow
  24. nail — for a hammer

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