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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 116 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — a partner
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mate — to breed
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. wax — to grow
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. cell — a phone
  19. file — a line of people
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. file — a tool
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. file — a document
  24. prune — to trim

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