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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. chest — a box
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. season — of the year
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. chest — of your body
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. season — in sport
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bat — the animal
  24. trunk — of a tree

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