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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. drill — a practice
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. drill — army training
  5. cell — in biology
  6. fine — high quality
  7. spell — a short time
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. wax — to grow
  12. chair — a leader
  13. drill — the tool
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. fine — all right
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cell — a phone
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. spell — letters
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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