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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
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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: last · wax · field · drill · mug · board · snap · mate

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — a face
  5. field — farmland
  6. drill — a practice
  7. field — a subject
  8. board — a committee
  9. last — finally
  10. snap — to click
  11. drill — the tool
  12. mate — a friend
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. field — for sport
  17. drill — army training
  18. mate — a partner
  19. last — final
  20. mug — to rob
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mate — to breed
  23. board — to get on
  24. last — to go on

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