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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: wax · cap · drill · coach · safe · snap · bulb · row

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. cap — a hat
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. snap — to click
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. row — a line
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — army training
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cap — of ice
  23. row — to paddle
  24. cap — a lid

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