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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · lash · snap · mark · wax · game

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. game — a match
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pound — a weight
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. game — wild animals
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. mark — a grade
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to click
  18. mark — a trace

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