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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. key — the most important part
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. rest — a break
  8. key — for a lock
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bat — the animal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wax — to grow
  19. snap — to click
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. key — in music
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bat — in an idiom

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