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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 116 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bulb — for light
  7. tube — a container
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. land — ground
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stock — shares
  14. land — to come down
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stock — goods
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. ball — a great time
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. tube — the underground
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rest — a break
  24. land — a country

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