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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: hand · mate · lash · wax · fall · saw · fine · fork

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fine — all right
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mate — a friend
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fine — high quality
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. fall — the season
  12. fork — in a road
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — to breed
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. hand — help
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. hand — in cards

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