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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
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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: craft · fan · kick · lash · file · bay · track · wax

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. kick — in football
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. craft — a skill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. file — a line of people
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. file — a tool
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. track — a song
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. track — a path
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. track — to keep track
  24. file — a document

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