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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pound — a weight
  3. wake — a trail
  4. spell — a short time
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. wax — to grow
  9. rule — government
  10. tear — from crying
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. rule — a law
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. spell — letters
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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