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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 116 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. band — a music group
  5. cue — a signal
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. cue — a hint
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. drill — army training
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. band — a ring
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cue — for pool

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