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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bear — the animal
  7. chest — of your body
  8. wax — to grow
  9. chest — a box
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. object — a thing
  18. wound — an injury
  19. craft — boats
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. chest — of your body
  24. craft — a skill

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