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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — magic
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. object — to protest
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. wake — a trail
  13. object — an aim
  14. spell — letters
  15. mug — a face
  16. wax — to grow
  17. snap — to click
  18. object — a thing
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lash — to lash out

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