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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
468
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: kid · stock · wax · game · present · lash · spell · season

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. game — a match
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. season — of the year
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. present — there
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. spell — magic
  10. present — the time now
  11. kid — child
  12. present — a gift
  13. stock — goods
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. season — in sport
  16. spell — letters
  17. game — wild animals
  18. spell — a short time
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. wax — to grow
  21. kid — to tease
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — shares
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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