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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wax — to grow
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. cell — in biology
  6. drill — a practice
  7. swing — music
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. mug — a face
  15. swing — in golf
  16. drill — the tool
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. date — the fruit
  20. tube — a container
  21. cell — a phone
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. swing — to play on

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