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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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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: craft · wax · squash · lash · race · clip · pass · pit

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — boats
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pit — in a race
  8. race — a contest
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. squash — the sport
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. clip — for paper
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. race — the arms race
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pass — a permit
  18. race — humankind
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. clip — to cut
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. clip — a video
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the vegetable

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