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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: kick · chip · lash · face · fine · wax · squash · swing

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. fine — high quality
  5. squash — the sport
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. chip — for betting
  9. kick — in football
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. face — part of the head
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. chip — to eat
  15. wax — to grow
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — to crush
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. swing — in golf
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. face — to confront
  22. swing — to play on
  23. face — to point toward
  24. swing — music

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