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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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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: lash · pop · nail · wax · bay · staff · track · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. staff — a stick
  5. pop — music
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. staff — employees
  11. firm — steady
  12. track — a path
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. staff — employees
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. firm — a company
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pop — to visit
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pop — soda
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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