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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.

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: kick · wax · bore · row · sharp · nail · hide · band

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. row — to paddle
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bore — to tire
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a ring
  16. row — a line
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. kick — in football
  20. wax — to grow
  21. sharp — clever
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wax — in the ear

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