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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. rush — hurry
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. sharp — clever
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — a series
  23. wax — to grow
  24. hand — in cards

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