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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. wind — moving air
  3. drill — army training
  4. kid — to tease
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. drill — the tool
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. kid — child
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bear — the animal

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