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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 116 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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. wax — to grow
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. drill — a practice
  6. land — to come down
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. land — ground
  11. drill — army training
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — a tool
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. land — a country
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mine — for digging
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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