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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 120 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. craft — a skill
  4. cap — of ice
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. wax — to grow
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. ball — a great time
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. craft — boats
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. ball — a dance
  21. pop — to visit
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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