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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 120 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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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: snap · wax · net · wave · pass · row · temple · lash

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. row — to paddle
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. row — a line
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. wax — to grow
  19. snap — to click
  20. net — in sport
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — after costs
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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