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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. stock — goods
  7. wax — to grow
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spell — letters
  10. bulb — for light
  11. drill — army training
  12. spell — magic
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. lie — to recline
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — completely
  19. stock — shares
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. drill — a practice

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