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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 120 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: rest · bound · lash · racket · present · snap · suit · wax

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bound — certain
  4. snap — to click
  5. bound — tied together
  6. present — the time now
  7. suit — clothes
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bound — obliged
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. rest — what's left
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. present — a gift
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. present — there
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wax — to grow
  24. lash — an eyelash

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