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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. pop — to visit
  3. field — a subject
  4. wax — to grow
  5. key — the most important part
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pop — music
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. key — for a lock
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. field — for sport
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. field — farmland
  22. key — in music
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. pop — soda

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