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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 116 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: bank · wax · stem · court · ball · can · lash · hand

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. ball — a round shape
  2. wax — to grow
  3. can — to be able to
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. court — for sport
  7. bank — of a river
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. court — of law
  10. ball — a dance
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. can — a tin
  13. bank — for money
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bank — for money
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. hand — help
  19. court — of a king
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  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