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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: pitch · wax · track · wound · saw · lash · bank · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. track — a path
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. mug — a cup
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bank — for money
  13. pitch — completely
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mug — a face
  16. track — to keep track
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. track — a song
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bank — of a river
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bank — for money
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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