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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: bowl · can · mate · swing · wax · lash · pound · stick

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. can — to be able to
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. mate — to breed
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mate — a partner
  12. wax — to grow
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. can — a tin
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pound — a weight
  21. swing — in golf
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. can — a tin
  24. wax — for sculpting

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