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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: wax · lash · clip · stock · file · drill · deal · stand

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. wax — to grow
  4. clip — a video
  5. drill — the tool
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. file — a document
  13. clip — to cut
  14. drill — army training
  15. file — a tool
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. stock — goods
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stock — shares
  20. clip — for paper
  21. stand — to bear
  22. file — a line of people
  23. deal — to handle
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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