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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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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: trunk · wax · dip · snap · pit · race · bound · lash

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pit — a hole
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. dip — to sink
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bound — tied together
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. race — humankind
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pit — in a race
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bound — obliged
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — a contest
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bound — certain
  24. lash — to lash out

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