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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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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: temple · wax · lash · bear · present · snap · racket · track

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. track — to keep track
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bear — the animal
  10. track — a path
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. present — there
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. present — a gift
  19. wax — to grow
  20. present — the time now
  21. snap — to click
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. track — a song

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