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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. row — a line
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. row — to paddle
  8. firm — steady
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. mate — a partner
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. date — the fruit
  13. firm — decided
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. firm — a company
  17. mate — to breed
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wax — to grow

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