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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. fall — to drop
  3. suit — clothes
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bound — certain
  11. fall — the season
  12. wax — to grow
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. wind — moving air
  15. suit — to fit
  16. kid — to tease
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. kid — child
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — tied together
  22. dip — to sink
  23. suit — in cards
  24. wax — for sculpting

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