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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 · wax · rush · bay · board · ground · spell · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. spell — a short time
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. spell — magic
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. ground — the earth
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. rush — hurry
  18. board — a committee
  19. sharp — clever
  20. spell — letters
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. ground — a position
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. wax — to grow

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