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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 · arm · chest · craft · dip · lash · object · sharp

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. object — an aim
  3. wax — to grow
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. object — to protest
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. chest — of your body
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. chest — a box
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. chest — of your body
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. sharp — clever
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. craft — a skill
  21. object — a thing
  22. dip — to sink
  23. craft — boats
  24. dip — a sauce

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