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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. game — a match
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bass — the fish
  8. present — the time now
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. rest — what's left
  14. present — there
  15. rest — a break
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. game — wild animals
  20. present — a gift
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bass — low music

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