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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
468
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 · kick · drill · foot · stock · mark · saw · bowl

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. saw — the tool
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. drill — army training
  7. kick — in football
  8. foot — a measure
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. mark — a trace
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. wax — to grow
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. stock — shares
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. stock — goods

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