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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. toast — bread
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. snap — to click
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. cell — a phone
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. wax — to grow
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. cell — in biology
  18. mine — for digging
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — a measure
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — with your hand

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