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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 116 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: dip · drill · band · wax · squash · perch · bore · rest

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. squash — the sport
  4. drill — army training
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. dip — to sink
  8. drill — a practice
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. band — a ring
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. rest — a break
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. drill — the tool
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bore — to drill
  22. wax — to grow
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. wax — in the ear

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