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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. net — for catching
  4. cue — for pool
  5. wax — to grow
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. cue — a signal
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. mine — for digging
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. net — after costs
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. cue — a hint
  21. drill — a practice
  22. net — in sport
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bay — a horse colour

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