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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 116 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: clip · fork · wax · object · lash · row · hand · plane

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. object — a thing
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. clip — a video
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. clip — for paper
  7. plane — a tool
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. object — an aim
  11. row — a line
  12. hand — help
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. object — to protest
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. row — to paddle
  23. clip — to cut
  24. hand — in cards

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