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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 116 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: track · dip · wax · drill · lash · mate · net · tear

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mate — a partner
  4. tear — from crying
  5. net — for catching
  6. track — a song
  7. drill — the tool
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mate — a friend
  13. tear — to rip
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. track — a path
  17. wax — to grow
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — army training
  20. mate — to breed
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. track — to keep track
  23. dip — to sink
  24. wax — in the ear

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