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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.

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: rush · can · bass · court · lash · hand · wax · drill

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. wax — to grow
  6. can — a tin
  7. hand — in cards
  8. court — of a king
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bass — the fish
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. drill — the tool
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. drill — army training
  16. hand — help
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bass — low music
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of law

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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