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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.

Make a worksheet

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: kid · can · toast · wake · lash · land · wax · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. land — to come down
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. wax — to grow
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. land — a country
  10. land — ground
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. can — to be able to
  13. kid — child
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. can — a tin
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. kid — to tease
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. toast — bread
  23. can — a tin
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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