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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 116 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: wax · staff · scale · lash · race · wave · branch · key

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. key — for a lock
  4. staff — employees
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. race — a contest
  8. branch — a division
  9. race — the arms race
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. key — the most important part
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. staff — a stick
  16. race — humankind
  17. scale — size or range
  18. staff — employees
  19. key — in music
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — to grow
  24. lash — an eyelash

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