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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 120 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
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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: fall · pitch · craft · rush · wax · lash · wave · scale

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wax — to grow
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. craft — a skill
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. craft — boats
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. scale — in music
  19. rush — hurry
  20. fall — the season
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. scale — size or range

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