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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.

Make a worksheet

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: clip · lash · bank · mine · jam · rush · rest · wax

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bank — for money
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bank — of a river
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bank — for money
  9. clip — for paper
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — a video
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. wax — to grow
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — for digging
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rest — a break
  24. mine — an explosive

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