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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. wax — to grow
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. spell — letters
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bass — the fish
  11. snap — to click
  12. spell — a short time
  13. club — for dancing
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. club — a group
  17. dip — to sink
  18. club — for golf
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. spell — magic

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