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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. season — of the year
  5. rest — what's left
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a ring
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. track — a song
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rest — a break
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. wax — to grow
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. chip — for betting
  18. season — in sport
  19. band — a music group
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. chip — to eat
  22. track — a path
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bowl — a dish

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