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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: deal · wax · jam · bat · lash · stand · wake · cap

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — a lid
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. cap — of ice
  17. stand — to bear
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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