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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. wax — to grow
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. foot — a measure
  8. field — farmland
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. spell — a short time
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. net — after costs
  14. spell — magic
  15. cap — of ice
  16. field — for sport
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. spell — letters
  19. cap — a lid
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. net — in sport
  22. field — a subject
  23. cap — a hat
  24. net — for catching

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