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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: clip · rest · kid · rash · can · wax · lash · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. firm — decided
  2. rest — what's left
  3. kid — child
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — to tease
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. clip — to cut
  9. can — a tin
  10. rash — a series
  11. firm — a company
  12. clip — for paper
  13. rest — a break
  14. can — a tin
  15. clip — a video
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. firm — steady
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rest — what's left
  23. can — to be able to
  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