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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. lie — to recline
  5. foot — a measure
  6. field — for sport
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. field — a subject
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. field — farmland
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bank — of a river
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bank — for money
  16. pop — music
  17. bank — for money
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pop — soda
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wax — to grow
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pop — to visit

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