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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.

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: stick · drill · lash · fine · wax · land · game · wave

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. drill — a practice
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. land — ground
  6. fine — all right
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. wax — to grow
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. game — a match
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. fine — high quality
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. land — to come down
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. drill — the tool
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. land — a country
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. drill — army training
  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