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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: wax · lash · plane · fan · fork · sharp · staff · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. plane — a tool
  11. staff — employees
  12. sharp — clever
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. staff — a stick
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. swing — music
  21. fork — in a road
  22. staff — employees
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. fork — a garden tool

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