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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rest — a break
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. tube — a container
  5. rest — what's left
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. fork — in a road
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. rash — a series
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wax — to grow
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. plane — a tool
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rash — on the skin

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