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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.

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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: stick · object · lash · wax · present · bowl · fan · cap

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — a thing
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. present — there
  8. object — to protest
  9. present — a gift
  10. cap — a lid
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. present — the time now
  14. cap — of ice
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. cap — a hat

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