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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. rest — a break
  4. cap — a lid
  5. chest — a box
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. season — in sport
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. cap — a hat
  11. drill — a practice
  12. rest — what's left
  13. chest — of your body
  14. season — of the year
  15. ball — a great time
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. chest — of your body
  19. drill — the tool
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wax — to grow
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. ball — a dance

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