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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.

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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: chest · field · content · staff · racket · wax · lash · club

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. field — a subject
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. content — the amount
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. staff — a stick
  7. field — for sport
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. content — happy
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. wax — to grow
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. staff — employees
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. club — for dancing
  17. chest — a box
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for golf
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. field — farmland
  24. staff — employees

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