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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. tear — from crying
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. drill — a practice
  9. tear — to rip
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. wax — to grow
  19. drill — army training
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — to protest
  24. fan — a supporter

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