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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. last — final
  7. last — to go on
  8. wax — to grow
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. can — a tin
  11. rash — a series
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. swing — to play on
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. swing — music
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. can — a tin
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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