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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: craft · wax · chest · fall · nail · lash · pitch · cue

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. chest — a box
  5. cue — a hint
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. craft — a skill
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cue — for pool
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cue — a signal
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pitch — completely
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. craft — boats
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. fall — to drop

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