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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. spell — a short time
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — a permit
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. wax — to grow
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. object — an aim
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. spell — magic
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mate — a friend
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. object — to protest
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. mate — to breed
  23. object — a thing
  24. spell — letters

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