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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. track — a path
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. staff — a stick
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. staff — employees
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spring — a coil
  18. staff — employees
  19. track — to keep track
  20. spring — the season
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. track — a song
  24. spring — of water

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