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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 120 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 · foot · season · cell · kick · lash · land · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. land — to come down
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. foot — a measure
  6. land — a country
  7. craft — boats
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. land — ground
  13. craft — a skill
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. cell — in biology
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wax — to grow
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. kick — in football

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