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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. toast — bread
  6. net — for catching
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. net — after costs
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. file — a document
  13. game — a match
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. file — a tool
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. game — wild animals
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. file — a line of people
  24. net — in sport

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