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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. staff — a stick
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — help
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wax — to grow
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cell — a phone
  12. track — a song
  13. staff — employees
  14. chest — of your body
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. stand — to bear
  17. chest — a box
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a path
  21. cell — in biology
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. staff — employees
  24. chest — of your body

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