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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. drill — army training
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. capital — money
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. capital — a city
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. prune — to trim
  16. drill — a practice
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. racket — for tennis

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