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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: wound · object · rush · mug · lash · date · wax · can

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. can — a tin
  5. rush — hurry
  6. can — to be able to
  7. object — a thing
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mug — a face
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mug — a cup
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. object — an aim
  19. can — a tin
  20. object — to protest
  21. mug — to rob
  22. wax — to grow
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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