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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. drill — the tool
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bat — the animal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. band — a music group
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. deal — to handle
  24. band — a ring

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