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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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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fall — the season
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. suit — clothes
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wax — to grow
  10. drill — army training
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. drill — the tool
  13. pass — a permit
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. drill — a practice
  18. suit — in cards
  19. scale — in music
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fall — to drop
  23. scale — size or range
  24. suit — to fit

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