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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. wax — to grow
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. scale — size or range
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rush — hurry
  21. scale — in music
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. season — in sport

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