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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. craft — boats
  3. content — happy
  4. scale — size or range
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. kick — in football
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. scale — in music
  12. object — to protest
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. content — the amount
  16. object — a thing
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. object — an aim
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wax — to grow
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. lash — an eyelash

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