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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. current — of water
  5. current — happening now
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. scale — size or range
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — a group
  20. current — electric
  21. club — for dancing
  22. wind — moving air
  23. scale — in music
  24. wax — in the ear

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