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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
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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: present · wax · net · roll · pop · rash · object · sharp

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. roll — a cake
  3. object — to protest
  4. present — there
  5. net — for catching
  6. rash — hasty
  7. net — after costs
  8. roll — a list
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. pop — soda
  12. object — a thing
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. wax — to grow
  15. pop — music
  16. net — in sport
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. present — a gift
  20. rash — a series
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pop — to visit
  23. object — an aim
  24. rash — on the skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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