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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. charge — a price
  5. spell — a short time
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. charge — in control
  11. spell — letters
  12. craft — a skill
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. plane — a tool
  15. spell — magic
  16. charge — electricity
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. game — a match
  23. game — wild animals
  24. lash — to lash out

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