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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. dip — to sink
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. field — a subject
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. chip — for betting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. rest — a break
  14. spell — magic
  15. fall — to drop
  16. field — for sport
  17. spell — letters
  18. chip — to eat
  19. rest — what's left
  20. spell — a short time
  21. field — farmland
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. dip — a sauce

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