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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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Word bank
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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. drill — army training
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. ball — a dance
  6. drill — a practice
  7. wound — an injury
  8. club — for dancing
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. wound — an injury
  11. club — a group
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pop — music
  15. club — for golf
  16. chair — a leader
  17. wax — to grow
  18. drill — the tool
  19. pop — to visit
  20. spell — a short time
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. ball — a great time
  23. pop — soda
  24. spell — magic

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