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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. pop — music
  4. club — for dancing
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. season — of the year
  8. pop — to visit
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. club — a group
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wax — to grow
  15. pop — soda
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. club — for golf
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. snap — to click
  22. season — in sport
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. season — to add flavour

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