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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. hand — help
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. hand — in cards
  9. land — to come down
  10. cue — a signal
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cue — for pool
  13. chip — to eat
  14. cue — a hint
  15. land — a country
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. land — ground
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. chip — for betting
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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