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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. drill — army training
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. wax — to grow
  7. craft — a skill
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. drill — a practice
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. drill — the tool
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. craft — boats
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bore — to drill

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