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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. face — to confront
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. chip — for betting
  5. face — to point toward
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. swing — to play on
  10. season — of the year
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. chip — to eat
  16. swing — in golf
  17. season — in sport
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. swing — music
  20. face — part of the head
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. wax — to grow
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lash — to lash out

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