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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. cap — a lid
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rush — hurry
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. drill — the tool
  11. ball — a dance
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. mark — a trace
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. mark — to pay attention

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