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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. last — finally
  5. pop — to visit
  6. last — to go on
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bulb — for light
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pop — music
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bulb — for light
  13. kick — in football
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. content — the amount
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. last — final

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