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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. rash — hasty
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bank — of a river
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. rash — a series
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. trunk — of a tree

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