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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. bear — the animal
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. last — final
  4. drill — army training
  5. last — to go on
  6. track — a song
  7. drill — a practice
  8. wax — to grow
  9. track — a path
  10. present — a gift
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bear — the animal
  14. drill — the tool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. last — finally
  17. present — the time now
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. present — there
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bear — to put up with
  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