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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: sharp · lash · dip · club · ball · straw · wax · lean

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wax — to grow
  6. ball — a great time
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — to sink
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. club — a group
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. ball — a dance
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. club — for dancing
  20. sharp — clever
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. club — for golf

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