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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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Word bank
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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fine — high quality
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. fine — all right
  9. scale — in music
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. wax — to grow
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. hand — in cards
  24. scale — size or range

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