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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 116 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lie — to recline
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. hand — help
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. season — of the year
  15. stand — to bear
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. ball — a great time
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. wax — to grow
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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