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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. mug — to rob
  3. race — humankind
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. cap — of ice
  8. wax — to grow
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. mug — a cup
  11. cap — a lid
  12. race — a contest
  13. chip — to eat
  14. mark — a trace
  15. branch — a division
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mark — a grade
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. cap — a hat
  22. race — the arms race
  23. mug — a face
  24. lash — to lash out

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