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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.

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: bass · hand · lash · kick · wax · mouse · current · nail

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. current — electric
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bass — low music
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. hand — in cards
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. kick — in football
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. current — happening now
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bass — the fish
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. current — of water

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