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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 · spell · roll · season · lash · sharp · ball · wax

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. season — in sport
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. season — of the year
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. sharp — clever
  9. spell — letters
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. roll — a list
  12. ball — a great time
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. spell — a short time
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. pass — a permit
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. spell — magic
  21. wax — to grow
  22. roll — a cake
  23. ball — a dance
  24. wax — for sculpting

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