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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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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 · rash · mate · trunk · key · wax · fine · kid

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  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. kid — to tease
  2. rash — hasty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. key — for a lock
  5. kid — child
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. fine — all right
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rash — a series
  23. mate — a partner
  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