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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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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: sharp · nail · hand · squash · leaves · wax · pitch · rash

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. hand — help
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. squash — the sport
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rash — a series
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pitch — completely
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — clever
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — to crush
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. hand — in cards
  24. nail — on a finger

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