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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. wax — to grow
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rule — government
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. track — a path
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rule — a law
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. wax — in the ear

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