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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mouse · wax · lash · trunk · bass · rash · charge · snap

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. snap — to click
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rash — hasty
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bass — the fish
  16. charge — a price
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. charge — in control
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bass — low music

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