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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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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: cabinet · lash · hand · wax · arm · track · lie · cell

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. track — a song
  3. hand — help
  4. wax — to grow
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cell — a phone
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. hand — in cards
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. track — a path
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. lie — to recline
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. track — to keep track
  24. cell — in biology

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