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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rash — a series
  4. rest — what's left
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rest — a break
  7. cell — in biology
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — there
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. present — the time now
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wax — to grow
  20. tube — a container
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. cell — a phone
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bulb — of a plant

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