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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mate — to breed
  4. drill — a practice
  5. present — the time now
  6. net — in sport
  7. wax — to grow
  8. mate — a partner
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. firm — a company
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. drill — army training
  14. firm — steady
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. present — a gift
  17. firm — decided
  18. drill — the tool
  19. net — after costs
  20. present — there
  21. net — for catching
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mate — a friend
  24. rest — a break

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