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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. firm — decided
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. spell — a short time
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. stand — to bear
  10. firm — a company
  11. wax — to grow
  12. foot — a measure
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. firm — steady
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. foot — the bottom

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