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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 120 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: net · root · lash · plane · wax · cue · season · leaves

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. cue — for pool
  9. season — of the year
  10. cue — a signal
  11. net — for catching
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. wax — to grow
  14. plane — a tool
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — in sport
  17. root — of a word
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. root — of a plant
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. cue — a hint
  22. season — in sport
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. root — the cause

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