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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. file — a document
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. drill — a practice
  8. lie — to recline
  9. file — a line of people
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. saw — the tool
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. drill — army training
  18. file — a tool
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wax — to grow
  22. ball — a dance
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lie — an untruth

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