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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. drill — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. pass — a permit
  6. mark — a trace
  7. drill — army training
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. drill — a practice
  12. mark — a grade
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. scale — size or range
  17. saw — the tool
  18. scale — in music

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