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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  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. wax — for sculpting
  2. wound — an injury
  3. drill — army training
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. date — the fruit
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bulb — for light
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wound — an injury
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mark — a grade
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. mark — a trace
  16. scale — size or range
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. drill — the tool
  19. scale — in music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. drill — a practice
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. hide — animal skin
  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