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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · sharp · saw · bowl · wax · game · hide · track

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wax — to grow
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. track — a path
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. game — a match
  8. track — a song
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. saw — the tool
  13. game — wild animals
  14. track — to keep track
  15. sharp — clever
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. rush — hurry
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bowl — to roll

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