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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: pass · hide · net · race · season · spring · wax · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. season — in sport
  3. race — the arms race
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. season — of the year
  6. net — in sport
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — a contest
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. net — after costs
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. pass — a permit
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. net — for catching
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — a coil
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. spring — of water
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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