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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. present — a gift
  3. drill — army training
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bass — low music
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. rash — hasty
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rash — a series
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — there
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bass — the fish
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — to hit hard

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