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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rock — music
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bulb — for light
  17. roll — a cake
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bulb — for light

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