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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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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. kick — in football
  4. drill — army training
  5. game — wild animals
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. game — a match
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wax — to grow
  14. branch — a division
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pitch — completely

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