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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 116 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  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. object — a thing
  2. lean — thin
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. object — to protest
  5. wax — to grow
  6. kid — to tease
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. track — to keep track
  10. net — in sport
  11. track — a song
  12. net — after costs
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. track — a path
  17. lean — to bend
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. object — an aim
  20. saw — the tool
  21. net — for catching
  22. saw — the tool
  23. kid — child
  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