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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: drill · wax · can · cell · rest · pass · sharp · suit

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. sharp — clever
  4. drill — army training
  5. can — to be able to
  6. pass — a permit
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. rest — a break
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. drill — a practice
  16. can — a tin
  17. cell — a phone
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — to fit
  22. drill — the tool
  23. cell — in biology
  24. can — a tin

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