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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. track — a path
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — a group
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a song
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. firm — a company
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. firm — decided
  18. wax — to grow
  19. club — for dancing
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. plane — a tool
  24. firm — steady

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