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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. spell — letters
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bass — the fish
  7. spell — magic
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lean — thin
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. craft — a skill
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. craft — boats
  24. bass — low music

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