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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. wax — to grow
  3. file — a tool
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. file — a document
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. rule — a law
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. rule — government
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. file — a line of people
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mark — a trace
  24. rule — to rule out

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