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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. drill — the tool
  3. wax — to grow
  4. staff — a stick
  5. mark — a grade
  6. roll — a list
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bank — for money
  11. staff — employees
  12. prune — to trim
  13. drill — army training
  14. staff — employees
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. drill — a practice
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bank — for money
  21. dip — to sink
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bank — of a river
  24. mark — a trace

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