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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wax — to grow
  3. chest — a box
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. track — a song
  7. chest — of your body
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — music
  11. squash — to crush
  12. rock — a stone
  13. stock — goods
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. track — a path
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. track — to keep track
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. squash — the sport
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. chest — of your body
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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