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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. chip — for betting
  3. wake — a trail
  4. ball — a dance
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. drill — a practice
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pass — a permit
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. mine — for digging
  19. staff — employees
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. drill — the tool

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