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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.

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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: spring · pitcher · mouse · pound · stick · wax · lash · racket

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pound — a weight
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wax — to grow
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. spring — the season
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. spring — of water
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pitcher — a jug

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