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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: lash · root · pass · chest · roll · drill · sharp · wax

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pass — a permit
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. chest — a box
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. drill — a practice
  10. sharp — clever
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. chest — of your body
  13. roll — a cake
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. drill — army training
  17. chest — of your body
  18. roll — a list
  19. root — of a word
  20. drill — the tool
  21. root — the cause
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. root — of a plant
  24. pass — to spend time

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