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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: bound · race · lash · cell · wax · bore · last · rock

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. wax — to grow
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bound — tied together
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rock — a stone
  10. last — to go on
  11. race — humankind
  12. rock — music
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. race — a contest
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bound — certain
  20. last — final
  21. last — finally
  22. bore — to tire
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bore — gave birth

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