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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: deal · pitch · lash · pound · fan · tear · rock · wax

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wax — to grow
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. tear — from crying
  5. rock — music
  6. tear — from crying
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rock — a stone
  11. pitch — completely
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. tear — to rip
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. pound — a weight
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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