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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.

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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: mouse · bay · lash · wax · sharp · ruler · cell · bass

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bass — the fish
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. cell — in biology
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. sharp — clever
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. wax — to grow
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bass — low music
  24. mouse — for a computer

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