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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. dip — to sink
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. wax — to grow
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. vault — a safe
  16. wake — a trail
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. rush — hurry
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. wax — in the ear

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