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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. foot — a measure
  6. cap — a lid
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bulb — for light
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. squash — the sport
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cap — of ice
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wax — to grow
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. cap — a hat
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bulb — for light

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