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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 124 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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wax — to grow
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bank — for money
  8. degree — temperature
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — of water
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. lie — to recline
  22. pass — a permit
  23. degree — from a university
  24. lash — an eyelash

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