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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. drill — the tool
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — army training
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. kid — child
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rock — a stone
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. rock — music
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. wax — to grow
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. content — the amount

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