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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — a series
  5. cold — an illness
  6. rash — hasty
  7. row — to paddle
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. wax — to grow
  13. row — a line
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pass — a permit
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. cold — not warm
  24. lash — to lash out

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