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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 120 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bass — the fish
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. present — there
  5. drill — a practice
  6. race — a contest
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. cue — a hint
  10. present — the time now
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bass — low music
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. present — a gift
  16. race — the arms race
  17. hand — help
  18. cue — for pool
  19. race — humankind
  20. hand — in cards
  21. drill — the tool
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. cue — a signal
  24. branch — a division

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