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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 116 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: mine · fan · lash · wax · mate · snap · mark · nail

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wax — to grow
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mark — a trace
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. snap — to click
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mate — to breed
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. lash — to lash out

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