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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: rush · bat · stand · wax · racket · can · nail · lash

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rush — hurry
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. can — to be able to
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — the animal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. wax — to grow
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. can — a tin
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. can — a tin
  24. racket — a loud noise

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