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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: sharp · mark · drill · pitch · deal · wax · pit · face

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. drill — a practice
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. drill — army training
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. face — part of the head
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. face — to confront
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. drill — the tool
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. pitch — completely
  15. sharp — clever
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pit — in a race
  19. mark — a trace
  20. face — to point toward
  21. pit — a hole
  22. mark — a grade
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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