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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: present · pitch · saw · lash · key · bear · foot · wax

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wax — to grow
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bear — the animal
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. key — in music
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. present — a gift
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. present — there
  16. key — for a lock
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bear — the animal
  20. key — the most important part
  21. present — the time now
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wax — for sculpting

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