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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. staff — employees
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. drill — army training
  8. wax — to grow
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. content — the amount
  13. band — a ring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. content — happy
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. wind — moving air
  20. staff — employees
  21. band — a music group
  22. drill — a practice
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. staff — a stick

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