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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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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: pop · cabinet · spell · sharp · lash · rock · wax · ruler

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. pop — soda
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rock — music
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rock — a stone
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. sharp — clever
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. spell — letters
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. spell — a short time
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. spell — magic
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — music

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