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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: wax · sharp · mouse · lie · clip · drill · stick · season

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. drill — the tool
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. sharp — clever
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. season — of the year
  10. drill — army training
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. season — in sport
  14. lie — to recline
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. clip — to cut
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. drill — a practice
  19. clip — a video
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. wax — to grow
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. clip — for paper
  24. sharp — exactly

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