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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. cold — not warm
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. drill — a practice
  8. row — a line
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. drill — the tool
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cold — an illness
  21. suit — in cards
  22. row — to paddle
  23. suit — to fit
  24. pass — a permit

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