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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: mug · stand · calf · lash · wax · bass · date · last

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bass — the fish
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bass — low music
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. wax — to grow
  14. last — final
  15. last — finally
  16. date — the fruit
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. last — to go on
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. mug — a face

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