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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 116 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: fine · drill · lean · saw · sharp · mate · wax · degree

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. lean — thin
  3. sharp — clever
  4. drill — army training
  5. degree — temperature
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. degree — an amount
  8. mate — a partner
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. mate — to breed
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. degree — from a university
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. mate — a friend
  19. wax — to grow
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fine — all right
  22. drill — a practice
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. fine — high quality

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