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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. staff — a stick
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. cell — a phone
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. swing — to play on
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pop — soda
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. staff — employees
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bass — low music
  17. swing — music
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pop — to visit
  21. staff — employees
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bass — the fish
  24. pop — 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