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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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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: mate · lash · stand · deal · rash · fall · mark · wax

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. rash — hasty
  4. wax — to grow
  5. fall — the season
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. stand — to bear
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mate — to breed
  13. fall — to drop
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. rash — a series
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. mark — a trace
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. fall — to drop
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. wax — for sculpting

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