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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rule · bass · dip · lash · wound · bowl · hand · wax

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. wax — to grow
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rule — a law
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. rule — government
  14. bass — low music
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. wound — an injury
  20. hand — help
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bass — the fish
  24. wax — in the ear

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