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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: roll · mark · wax · pitcher · toast · sharp · march · lash

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. march — music
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. march — the month
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. march — the month
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. mark — a grade
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — bread
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. sharp — clever
  21. roll — a list
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. mark — a trace
  24. roll — on a roll

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