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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: wax · lash · board · hide · lie · spell · field · fan

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lie — to recline
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. board — a committee
  8. spell — a short time
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. field — farmland
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. field — for sport
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. spell — letters
  19. field — a subject
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. spell — magic
  24. wax — to grow

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