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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. land — a country
  3. wax — to grow
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. club — for dancing
  11. land — ground
  12. club — a group
  13. rash — a series
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. club — for golf
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. land — to come down
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. plane — a tool
  23. rash — hasty
  24. lash — an eyelash

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