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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: arm · fork · nail · lash · stem · pop · racket · wax

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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. pop — music
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pop — soda
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. fork — in a road
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. wax — to grow
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pop — to visit
  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