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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bulb — for light
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. season — in sport
  7. kid — to tease
  8. cue — a hint
  9. sharp — clever
  10. track — a path
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wax — to grow
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. season — of the year
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cue — for pool
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. cue — a signal
  22. track — to keep track
  23. kid — child
  24. sharp — with an edge

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