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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: jam · cabinet · wax · drill · dip · race · lash · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. race — the arms race
  4. drill — the tool
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. race — a contest
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. wax — to grow
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. dip — to sink
  15. prune — to trim
  16. race — humankind
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — a practice
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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