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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 116 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. plane — a tool
  4. cell — in biology
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — a contest
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. race — humankind
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. straw — dry grass

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