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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: lash · wax · mate · last · calf · trunk · tear · sharp

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. last — finally
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. mate — to breed
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wax — to grow
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. last — to go on
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. last — final
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — a friend
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. tear — from crying
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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