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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 · jam · wind · coach · toast · rash · arm · wax

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. rash — a series
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. wind — moving air
  22. toast — bread
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. wax — to grow

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