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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: suit · board · wax · kid · drill · spring

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — the tool
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — child
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. wax — to grow
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. suit — clothes
  13. board — a committee
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. suit — to fit
  17. drill — a practice
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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