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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. club — for dancing
  4. mate — to breed
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. kid — to tease
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mate — a partner
  12. dip — to sink
  13. mate — a friend
  14. game — a match
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. kid — child
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. game — wild animals
  19. club — for golf
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. club — a group
  23. dip — to dunk
  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