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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. drill — army training
  4. bass — low music
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bank — for money
  12. bass — the fish
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. fork — in a road
  15. wax — to grow
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bank — for money
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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