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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: wax · bank · band · straw · nail · mate · stick · lash

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. mate — to breed
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bank — for money
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. band — a ring
  14. mate — a partner
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bank — for money
  18. band — a music group
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. mate — a friend
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wax — to grow
  24. band — a rubber band

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