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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 124 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: drill · pitcher · wax · rash · wake · plane · bay · game

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. game — a match
  6. drill — a practice
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — a tool
  13. rash — hasty
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. drill — the tool
  18. wake — a trail
  19. rash — a series
  20. game — wild animals
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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