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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. toast — bread
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wax — to grow
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. chest — of your body
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. chest — of your body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. chest — a box
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wax — in the ear

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