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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. toast — bread
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. drill — army training
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. snap — to click
  9. rest — what's left
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. drill — a practice
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. rest — a break
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bass — low music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wax — to grow
  21. lie — to recline
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bass — the fish

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