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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. ground — a position
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mug — a face
  6. wax — to grow
  7. clip — a video
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wake — a trail
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. can — a tin
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. can — to be able to
  16. clip — for paper
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. ground — crushed
  19. can — a tin
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. clip — to cut
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. ground — the earth

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