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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: mark · swing · lie · land · lash · wax · roll · race

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. lie — to recline
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. roll — a list
  8. mark — a trace
  9. race — a contest
  10. roll — a cake
  11. race — humankind
  12. swing — in golf
  13. race — the arms race
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mark — a grade
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. swing — to play on
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. swing — music
  24. lie — an untruth

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