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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. press — newspapers
  4. drill — army training
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pass — a permit
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. press — to push
  16. drill — the tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. drill — a practice
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. plane — a tool

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