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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 120 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 · net · object · snap · pound · wax · chest · bay

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. net — for catching
  3. chest — a box
  4. pound — a weight
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. object — to protest
  12. net — after costs
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. wax — to grow
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. chest — of your body
  19. object — a thing
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. snap — to click
  23. net — in sport
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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