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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — the arms race
  5. wax — to grow
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bark — to shout
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. mate — a partner
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. race — humankind
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rest — what's left
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. tube — a container

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