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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  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. cap — a lid
  2. mate — to breed
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. mate — a friend
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. cap — a hat
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mate — a partner
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. cap — of ice
  23. wax — to grow
  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