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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: wax · rush · bore · craft · pitcher · lash · spell · can

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. craft — boats
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. craft — a skill
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. bore — to drill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. spell — magic
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to tire
  23. can — a tin
  24. wax — to grow

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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