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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. stem — to come from
  6. content — the amount
  7. bank — of a river
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. row — a line
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bank — for money
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. content — happy
  18. wax — to grow
  19. row — to paddle
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bank — for money
  24. fan — to cool the air

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