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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 120 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: wax · sharp · foot · net · band · pit · drill · straw

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. pit — a hole
  4. drill — army training
  5. net — for catching
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a music group
  8. drill — a practice
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. foot — a measure
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. net — in sport
  21. drill — the tool
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. net — after costs

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