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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: lash · plane · wax · rest · cold · nail · cabinet · cue

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. wax — to grow
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cue — a signal
  6. plane — a tool
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cue — a hint
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cold — not warm
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. rest — a break

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