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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 116 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 ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rest — a break
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stem — to come from
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. ball — a great time
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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