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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. last — finally
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rush — hurry
  19. root — the cause
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. last — to go on
  22. root — of a word
  23. last — final
  24. wax — to grow

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