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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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. spring — the season
  4. press — to push
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bank — for money
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. track — to keep track
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. spring — a coil
  11. drill — the tool
  12. press — a publisher
  13. mate — to breed
  14. press — newspapers
  15. mate — a friend
  16. wax — to grow
  17. track — a song
  18. mate — a partner
  19. track — a path
  20. bank — for money
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bank — of a river
  23. spring — of water
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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