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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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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: bowl · prune · dip · lash · key · cue · pound · wax

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. key — for a lock
  13. cue — for pool
  14. prune — to trim
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. key — in music
  17. prune — to trim
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. dip — to sink
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pound — a weight

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