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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
468
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: coach · cap · season · lash · sharp · wax · squash · pop

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. sharp — clever
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pop — soda
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pop — to visit
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. cap — a hat
  10. season — of the year
  11. cap — of ice
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. wax — to grow
  14. cap — a lid
  15. season — in sport
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pop — music
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. squash — the sport
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wax — for sculpting

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