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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. spell — magic
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — of a word
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. spell — letters
  18. wax — to grow
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rush — hurry
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. root — the cause
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. spell — a short time

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