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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: mouse · last · charge · bear · wax · arm · toast · lash

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. last — final
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. charge — electricity
  13. last — finally
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wax — to grow
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. charge — in control
  21. toast — bread
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. charge — a price
  24. bear — the animal

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