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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · can · wax · row · lash · trunk · fall · race

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. spell — a short time
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. can — a tin
  6. fall — to drop
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. can — to be able to
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. race — a contest
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. race — the arms race
  14. fall — to drop
  15. can — a tin
  16. fall — the season
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wax — to grow
  19. row — to paddle
  20. race — humankind
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — letters
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. row — a line

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