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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: dip · clip · wound · track · ruler · suit · lash · wax

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  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. track — a song
  2. clip — for paper
  3. suit — to fit
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wax — to grow
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. track — a path
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. track — to keep track
  14. clip — to cut
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. suit — clothes
  21. dip — to sink
  22. clip — a video
  23. suit — in cards
  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