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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 120 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. spell — magic
  4. staff — employees
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spell — letters
  7. wax — to grow
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. spell — a short time
  10. fine — high quality
  11. drill — army training
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. drill — the tool
  16. fine — all right
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ball — a dance
  22. staff — a stick
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. staff — employees

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