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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: nail · rush · mine · band · jam · can · lash · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. rush — hurry
  3. can — a tin
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. band — a ring
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. can — to be able to
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. band — a music group
  18. wax — to grow
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. can — a tin
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. lash — to lash out

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