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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lean — to bend
  3. squash — to crush
  4. drill — a practice
  5. wax — to grow
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pit — in a race
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. drill — the tool
  10. cap — of ice
  11. saw — the tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. lean — thin
  17. cap — a lid
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — the sport
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pit — a hole
  24. cap — a hat

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