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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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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 · wax · kid · foot · trunk · mug · shower · bank

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. shower — to wash
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. kid — to tease
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. kid — child
  10. mug — a cup
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. foot — a measure
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — to rob
  18. shower — rain
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. foot — the bottom

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