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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 120 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. sharp — clever
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rock — music
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. scale — in music
  13. wake — a trail
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — a container
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rock — a stone
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. tube — the underground
  24. sharp — with an edge

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