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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. root — of a word
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — a container
  8. hand — in cards
  9. tube — the underground
  10. club — for golf
  11. root — of a plant
  12. snap — to click
  13. club — for dancing
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. fall — to drop
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. root — the cause
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. club — a group
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. hand — help
  22. fall — the season
  23. wax — to grow
  24. lash — to lash out

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