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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 120 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: drill · stem · cap · wax · spell · content · hide · vault

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. content — happy
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — of ice
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. wax — to grow
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. spell — letters
  11. stem — to come from
  12. drill — army training
  13. spell — magic
  14. cap — a hat
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. vault — a safe
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. spell — a short time
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. drill — a practice
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. content — the amount

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