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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bass — the fish
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. field — farmland
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — low music
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. root — of a word
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. can — a tin
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a plant
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. field — for sport
  22. wax — to grow
  23. field — a subject
  24. can — a tin

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