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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. staff — a stick
  4. dip — to sink
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wax — to grow
  9. staff — employees
  10. ball — a great time
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bound — obliged
  15. ground — the earth
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — crushed
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bound — certain
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. trunk — of a tree

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