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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: staff · dip · lash · drill · pass · wax · trunk · game

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — a permit
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a match
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. drill — a practice
  13. wax — to grow
  14. drill — the tool
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. dip — to sink
  17. staff — a stick
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. staff — employees
  21. drill — army training
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. staff — employees
  24. lash — to lash out

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