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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rash — a series
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. rash — hasty
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. prune — to trim
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. shower — rain
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. prune — to trim
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. saw — the tool
  24. shower — to wash

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