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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. row — to paddle
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. row — a line
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. roll — a cake
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. roll — a list
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. fine — high quality
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wax — to grow
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. fine — all right

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