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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. charge — electricity
  6. mate — a friend
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mark — a grade
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. row — to paddle
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. charge — a price
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bank — for money
  15. mate — to breed
  16. charge — in control
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bank — of a river
  19. row — a line
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bank — for money
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. wax — to grow

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