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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: wax · lash · scale · stem · spell · foot · wound · stick

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. scale — in music
  6. foot — a measure
  7. wax — to grow
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. spell — magic
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. wound — an injury
  16. spell — a short time
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. stem — to come from
  19. scale — size or range
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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