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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — a phone
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. craft — a skill
  5. wax — to grow
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. perch — the fish
  8. tear — to rip
  9. snap — to click
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pop — to visit
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pop — soda
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. tear — from crying
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. craft — boats
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. pop — music

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