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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. present — a gift
  8. drill — a practice
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. drill — the tool
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. drill — army training
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. present — the time now
  21. rule — a law
  22. present — there
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rule — government

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