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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wind — moving air
  5. club — a group
  6. drill — the tool
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. club — for golf
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. drill — a practice
  16. wax — to grow
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — the animal
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. club — for dancing

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