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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: trunk · wax · sharp · fork · pound · squash · lash · wake

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. wax — to grow
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wake — a trail
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. fork — in a road
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pound — a weight
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. squash — the sport
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. sharp — clever
  24. trunk — of a tree

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