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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: foot · fan · coach · lash · wax · arm · bass · tube

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bass — low music
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wax — to grow
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. foot — a measure
  18. tube — the underground
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bass — the fish
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. tube — a container
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. foot — the bottom

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