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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 120 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: pop · lash · chest · pass · key · craft · wax · wave

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pass — a permit
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. craft — boats
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pop — to visit
  12. key — in music
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pop — soda
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — to grow
  18. key — for a lock
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. craft — a skill
  22. chest — of your body
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. chest — a box

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