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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rock — music
  3. deal — to handle
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. rest — a break
  6. race — a contest
  7. net — in sport
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. race — the arms race
  11. wax — to grow
  12. rest — what's left
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. race — humankind
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wax — for sculpting

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