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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: mate · bay · snap · stand · tear · arm · lash · wax

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wax — to grow
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. mate — to breed
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. snap — to click
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. tear — to rip
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — a friend
  24. arm — part of the body

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