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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. band — a ring
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wax — to grow
  9. stock — goods
  10. snap — to click
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. stock — shares
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. band — a music group
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. rock — music
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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