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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. drill — army training
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. drill — the tool
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. scale — size or range
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. scale — in music
  17. drill — a practice
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wax — to grow
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. plane — a tool
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wax — in the ear

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