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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 120 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. fine — high quality
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. object — a thing
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. tube — the underground
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. tube — a container
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. wax — to grow
  18. object — an aim
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. object — to protest
  21. scale — in music
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. scale — size or range
  24. fine — all right

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