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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bark — to shout
  3. pass — a permit
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wax — to grow
  10. tube — a container
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. fall — the season
  24. bark — of a tree

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