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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 120 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. spell — a short time
  5. tube — the underground
  6. wax — to grow
  7. spell — magic
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pass — a permit
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bore — to drill
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bore — to tire
  16. drill — the tool
  17. spell — letters
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. tube — a container
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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