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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: pass · lash · wax · nail · staff · race · toast · degree

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. staff — a stick
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. wax — to grow
  8. degree — an amount
  9. race — humankind
  10. staff — employees
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. race — a contest
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pass — a permit
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — from a university
  18. staff — employees
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. race — the arms race
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. nail — for a hammer

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