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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: lash · press · wax · mouse · firm · kick · stick · date

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. firm — a company
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. firm — steady
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. firm — decided
  15. press — newspapers
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. press — to push
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wax — to grow
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. press — a publisher
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. kick — in football

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