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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: kid · temple · press · sharp · lash · suit · kick · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. suit — to fit
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. kid — to tease
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — a publisher
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. wax — to grow
  12. press — to push
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. kick — in football
  17. suit — clothes
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. kid — child
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. suit — in cards
  24. sharp — clever

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