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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: drill · season · pit · wax · sharp · lash · snap · deal

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. wax — to grow
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pit — in a race
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pit — a hole
  18. deal — to handle
  19. drill — army training
  20. season — of the year
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. snap — to click

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