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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
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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: present · staff · rest · saw · lash · bat · sharp · wax

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. staff — employees
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. staff — employees
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. present — a gift
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. present — there
  14. saw — the tool
  15. present — the time now
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bat — the animal
  19. rest — a break
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. sharp — clever
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. rest — what's left
  24. staff — a stick

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