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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
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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: lash · mouse · drill · wax · net · spell · bark · club

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. wax — to grow
  4. spell — letters
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. drill — a practice
  7. spell — magic
  8. club — a group
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. club — for dancing
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — in sport
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. club — for golf
  17. bark — to shout
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. net — after costs
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. mouse — 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