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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: roll · hide · wax · nail · pound · tear · court · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. court — of law
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. court — of a king
  12. tear — to rip
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. sharp — clever
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. court — for sport
  20. roll — a cake
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. roll — a list
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. tear — from crying

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