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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. rock — music
  7. file — a document
  8. hand — help
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. wax — to grow
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mark — a grade
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bear — the animal
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mark — a trace
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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