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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bass — the fish
  3. branch — a division
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bass — low music
  8. face — to confront
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. face — to point toward
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — crushed
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. ground — a position
  21. wax — to grow
  22. vault — a safe
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. leaves — lets stay

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