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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 120 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wax — to grow
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. rule — a law
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. rule — government
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pass — a permit
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. perch — the fish
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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