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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. row — to paddle
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. row — a line
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. tube — a container
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. season — in sport
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wax — to grow
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. wound — an injury
  20. chip — to eat
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. chip — for betting
  23. tube — the underground
  24. row — a quarrel

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