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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. last — final
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. last — to go on
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. cell — a phone
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cell — in biology
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wax — to grow
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. last — finally
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. racket — for tennis

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