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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: ball · lash · rush · wind · bank · calf · fork · wax

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. wax — to grow
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bank — for money
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rush — hurry
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. fork — in a road

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