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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: lash · saw · leaves · hide · wax · content · wind · mouse

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. saw — the tool
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wax — to grow
  6. content — the amount
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. wind — moving air
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. content — happy
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wind — moving air
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wind — to turn a key

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