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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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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: wax · kick · club · coach · lash · lie · wind · bay

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. club — for dancing
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lie — to recline
  16. club — for golf
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. club — a group
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. lash — to lash out

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