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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: drill · bay · kick · band · mark · cabinet · wax · tube

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. drill — army training
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. band — a ring
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. wax — to grow
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. tube — a container
  19. drill — a practice
  20. band — a music group
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. kick — in football
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. mark — a grade

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