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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · wax · hide · racket · mark · stock · calf · squash

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mark — a trace
  6. stock — shares
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. drill — army training
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. squash — the sport
  15. mark — a grade
  16. drill — a practice
  17. squash — to crush
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stock — goods
  23. drill — the tool
  24. stock — a soup base

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