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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.

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: race · file · fine · wax · hand · lash · wound · lie

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — to grow
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. race — humankind
  6. wound — an injury
  7. file — a tool
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. race — a contest
  10. file — a line of people
  11. hand — in cards
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. race — the arms race
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. file — a document
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fine — all right
  21. hand — help
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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