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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: lash · wax · mine · temple · pitcher · bear · bass · bat

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bass — low music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bass — the fish

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