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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. rock — a stone
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — the tool
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rock — music
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. scale — in music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. row — to paddle
  14. wax — to grow
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. row — a line
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. drill — a practice
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. scale — size or range
  21. pass — a permit
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. row — a quarrel

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