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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. fine — high quality
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. wind — moving air
  8. firm — a company
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. sharp — clever
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. firm — steady
  13. date — the fruit
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fine — all right
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. firm — decided
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. fine — a penalty

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