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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · lash · wax · file · cell · calf · wound · bass

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a tool
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bass — low music
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. cell — in biology
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. cell — a phone
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. net — for catching
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bass — the fish
  23. wax — to grow
  24. file — a line of people

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