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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. swing — to play on
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wax — to grow
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. board — a committee
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. swing — in golf
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. shower — rain
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. swing — music
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. shower — to wash
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. board — to get on
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pass — a permit
  24. sharp — clever

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