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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: mouse · wax · lash · swing · straw · spell · drill · file

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. spell — a short time
  3. drill — army training
  4. file — a document
  5. wax — to grow
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. file — a line of people
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. spell — letters
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — in golf
  13. drill — the tool
  14. file — a tool
  15. spell — magic
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. drill — a practice
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wax — for sculpting

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