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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. swing — music
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. snap — to click
  7. plane — a tool
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. swing — in golf
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. pit — in a race
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pound — a weight
  19. swing — to play on
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. wax — to grow

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