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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: roll · last · rest · lash · rush · pitch · spring · wax

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. roll — a cake
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. spring — a coil
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. spring — of water
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. wax — to grow
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. last — to go on
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. last — final
  15. roll — a list
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pitch — completely
  19. spring — the season
  20. rest — a break
  21. last — finally
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pitch — a sports field

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