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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: pitcher · face · drill · object · last · suit · bank · wax

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. drill — army training
  3. last — to go on
  4. face — to confront
  5. last — final
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bank — of a river
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. face — part of the head
  10. object — to protest
  11. bank — for money
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — a thing
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. drill — the tool
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bank — for money
  21. wax — to grow
  22. suit — in cards
  23. drill — a practice
  24. suit — clothes

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