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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. deal — to handle
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. pass — a permit
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. game — a match
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. snap — to click
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. wax — to grow
  21. game — wild animals
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. pitch — completely

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