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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.

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: row · bay · stock · wax · spell · lash · sharp · rest

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. row — to paddle
  3. spell — magic
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. row — a line
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — to grow
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. rest — what's left
  18. spell — letters
  19. stock — shares
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. stock — goods
  24. sharp — exactly

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