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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
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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: mark · wound · sharp · key · season · pop · wax · fan

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. key — for a lock
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. season — of the year
  7. pop — music
  8. wax — to grow
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. key — the most important part
  18. wound — an injury
  19. key — in music
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. season — in sport

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