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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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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. last — to go on
  3. wake — a trail
  4. last — final
  5. content — happy
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. swing — music
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. swing — to play on
  23. content — the amount
  24. last — finally

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