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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: rush · racket · lash · bat · rule · fall · wax · spell

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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. lash — a whip stroke
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. spell — a short time
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bat — the animal
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — a law
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. fall — the season
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. fall — to drop
  17. spell — letters
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. spell — magic
  21. fall — to drop
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. rush — hurry
  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