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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. drill — a practice
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. spell — magic
  5. tube — a container
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. spell — letters
  11. wax — to grow
  12. drill — the tool
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. drill — army training
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. fine — high quality
  19. court — of a king
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. fine — all right
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. tube — the underground
  24. snap — to click

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