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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — to visit
  3. spring — of water
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. court — of a king
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wax — to grow
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. spring — the season
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. spring — a coil
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of law
  23. pop — music
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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