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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: bass · wax · prune · bay · fork · lash · club · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. club — a group
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. fork — in a road
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bass — low music
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. club — for golf
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. date — the fruit
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bass — the fish
  19. club — for dancing
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wax — in the ear

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