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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 120 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. net — for catching
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. net — after costs
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. wax — to grow
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. last — finally
  21. net — in sport
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — final

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