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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. shower — to wash
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. rule — government
  8. scale — size or range
  9. rash — hasty
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. season — in sport
  19. rule — a law
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. shower — rain
  24. mouse — for a computer

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