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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: spell · fine · wax · trunk · rest · net · lean · lash

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. fine — high quality
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. fine — all right
  8. rest — a break
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. spell — letters
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. net — for catching
  15. wax — to grow
  16. net — after costs
  17. spell — a short time
  18. lean — to bend
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lean — thin
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. spell — magic
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. net — in sport

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