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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. swing — in golf
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. staff — employees
  18. bore — to drill
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bass — low music
  21. chip — to eat
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. chip — for betting

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