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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pop — soda
  5. wax — to grow
  6. snap — to click
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. object — to protest
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — an aim
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mug — a cup
  15. charge — in control
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. charge — electricity
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pop — music
  21. charge — a price
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. mug — a face
  24. wax — for sculpting

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