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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — to rob
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. scale — size or range
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. chest — of your body
  11. roll — a cake
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. roll — a list
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mug — a face
  17. scale — in music
  18. suit — to fit
  19. chest — a box
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — in cards

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