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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
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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: wake · mouse · craft · trunk · lash · rash · chip · wax

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  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. wake — a trail
  2. wax — to grow
  3. craft — a skill
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. craft — boats
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. chip — for betting
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. rash — hasty
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. chip — to eat
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. rash — a series
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. craft — a handicraft
  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